(Half) Dead Rule
by TheClowningPrince
Summary: Since the fall of Pariah Dark, The Ghost Zone has gone without a King. After the mad man was released and then imprisoned once again controversy was sparked between the Observants and The Masters. After 4 years a decision is made, one that will change the future of the young halfa and the Ghost Zone forever.
1. Ch 1: Final Decision Finally Decided

**Hey all! ClowningPrince here with my second fanfic. I've read a half dozen fic's like this and I just had to do my own version. I've loved this idea since I first read a fanfic of this type. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter as well as future chapters to come. Please be sure to leave a review, it really helps to have feedback.**

 **Don't worry, I will still be posting chapters for my other story "Laughter is The Best Medicine", I just wanted to try my hand at a Danny Phantom fic.**

 **Disclaimer: All rights to Danny Phantom belong to Butch Hartman.**

 **Also, I'd like to give credit to beccadrawsstuff, an artist on Tumblr who created this story's awesome picture. Thank you Becca!**

* * *

The decision was final and unquestionable. For four years since the fall of the tyrannical mad man, known as Pariah Dark, the Observants and many of the masters of the natural world had been in and out of council. For four years they argued of the legitimacyof Clockwork's claim of who was to be the next heir. So finally after four years of debate, heated arguments, and mounds of substantial evidence, a decision had been made; the next King of The Ghosts and the Ghost Zone had been named. Clockwork smirked in triumph as the final verdict was read.

"The final decision, as decided by this council and the Masters of the Natural world, we of the Council of Observants find the halfa, Daniel Phantom, to be the rightful and uncontested heir tothe throne of the King of Ghosts."

The assembly murmured quietly amongst themselves as the verdict was concluded. The council chambers began to slowly empty as the assembly rose and filed out the door, leaving the masters and two Observants to discuss further proceedings.

"The boy must be informed before the arrival of his eighteenth birthday," the first Observant, a green spectre in white robes trimmed in red, informed the masters. "Seeing as you have taken the Phantom boy as your charge, you will be given this task,Clockwork."

The Time Master nodded knowingly, annoyed at their lack of understanding that he, of course, already knew that this task would be his. Though he could not see the future that associated with ghosts as powerful as the Observants, he could catch occasional glimpses of his charges future. One of these glimpses being the Master presenting the news to the boy.

"Once this council is officially adjourned I will make my way to the human world." He directed his gaze to the Master next to him, "Death, you havebefriended the boy as well haven't you? You wouldn't mind joining me to break the news to our young friend, would you?"

The black-cloaked ghost shrugged as he replied in a joking tone. "Eh, I don't see the harm in it. The punk still owes me the other half of his life, perhaps he'll have a heart-attack once he learns of his royalty and I can collect early."

Clockwork chuckled before he was interrupted by the other Observant, this one was trimmed in gold rather than the red of his colleague.

"Ahem, as we were saying. The boy must be informed a week before his eighteenth birthday, this should be sufficient time for preparations for the ceremony to be completed. The other issue is that of finding a Queen. While ancient law dictates an arranged marriage, we are willing to embrace more... modern traditions in allowing the King to decide his Queen. This will be discussed at a later time as the law does not require a Queen for the coronation, however this issue must not be forgotten. Thus marks the end of these proceedings. Council adjourned." With that the Observants faded, returning to their realm in some depths of the Ghost Zone to continue their work.

Clockwork sighed in exasperation, his patience with the ever annoying Observants was waning thin as the years passed. Taking his scepter in hand he opened a portal to the human world, within he spied his young friend. Danny was walking the halls of Casper High, his two friends Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley laughing along either side of him as they made their way to their next class. The ever stoic Time Master allowed a small smile as he watched the boy who had become a good friend and something of a son to the old ghost. Death watched patiently as his colleague and ancient friend observed his charge for a moment.

"Should we wait a while longer? The boy does not turn the appropriate age for almost a couple months, and he seems to be at a point where he is not burdened by his daily responsibilities." The Reaper suggested quietly, casting a glance at the Time Master. Clockwork's smile remained though his eyes seemed to sadden.

"You've seen something. The boy is about to have a troubling few weeks, isn't he?" Death pressed, already knowing the answer as he spoke.

Clockwork nodded before pressing a button on the top of his scepter. The image in the portal seemed to fastforward before coming to a stop on another scene.

"This is two weeks from now. It's no more than a few minutes but from what I can see, our young friend will finally reveal his identity to his parents." Pressing the button again the scene in the portal began to play.

* * *

" _Mom, Dad...I need to tell you something…" Danny fidgeted nervously, casting a glance between his parents._

 _Jack and Maddy Fenton both turned from whatever new ghost weapon they'd been working on and removed their goggles to look at him. Maddy spoke first, a smile on both their faces, "Danny, sweetheart, what do you need?"_

 _The young halfa looked down at his feet, then back at their smiling faces. He opened and closed his mouth, desperately trying to form the words he couldn't seem to find. Maddy lowered the blowtorch she'd been holding and concern swept across her face. "Sweetheart? Is everything alright? You know you can tell us anything."_

 _Danny closed his mouth and lowered his head. Taking a deep breath he looked up at them, put on a brave face and willed himself to change. Twin circles of brilliant blue light appeared at his waist before splitting to travel up and down his body. The usual white shirt with red trim, faded blue jeans, and red vans were replaced by a black hazmat suit, sporting a white DP insignia, with a silver belt, white gloves and white boots. His normally raven hair turned snow white and his piercing blue eyes changed to a glowing radioactive green._

 _"I am Danny Phantom."_

 _The two ghost hunters stood stock still, as if frozen by his ghostly ice powers. The lab was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop._

 _Without warning Jack Fenton grabbed a nearby ecto-gun and pointed it at Danny. "Where the hell is my son, you damned spook?!"_

* * *

"Time Out." The scene before the two masters froze, Death was deathly quiet (get it? Ah nevermind). "This is his future so far. He will be rejected by his parents. Forced to leave his family and escape from the possibilities of torture and experimentation." Waving his hand, the portal disappeared, and he turned to his friend.

Though the spirit of Death is seen as a somber and emotionless entity to those who think of the Reaper, he does in fact know and show emotion. Though eons of leading those who have passed into the afterlife had dulled his emotions, the Master of Death had allowed himself to appreciate the company of the young halfa. One of the few friends he had made in all the years of his spectral existence, and the boy would be rejected by those who were supposed to love him and protect him.

Anger and sadness, for the inevitable heartache his young friend was to face, rose within him. His scythe had appeared in hand during the scene in the portal and had begun to crackle with ecto-energy, the smell of brimstone and ozone permeating the air.

"Can anything be done? Can this be avoided?" His anger masked the desperation in his voice, but Clockwork had known Death for as long as time had begun and could hear the urgency in his question. The Time Master smiled sadly and shook his head.

A portal appeared again before them, only this one showed a new scene. A silhouette sat upon a large throne facing a large assembly of ghosts. The figure was murky and distorted but few details rang clear in the viewing portal. Upon the figures snow white hair sat a crown, burning with a ghostly green fire. The third finger of his right hand bore a glowing green ring set with a single round, smooth stone engraved with a skull.

The figures fixed the crowd with eyes that burned toxic green. "All, is as it should be."

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 **So whatcha all think? Too much? Too Little? Just Right? Leave a review and let me know what you think.**


	2. Ch 2: Movie Night

**You people are just amazing. Less than a day after posting chapter 1 and I have as many followers for this story as I do for my other story, and Laughter was posted months ago. Thank you so much for your feedback and your follows. This chapter will act as a filler until the reveal chapter. That being said I'll try not to make it too boring.**

 **Alright people, hope you enjoy!**

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It should have been a regular, lazy Saturday. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and a gentle warm breeze of summer made its way through the simple and somewhat quiet town...that is until a monochromatic blur of black and white slammed into  
the old abandoned brick factory, punching a hole the size of a sedan into the brickwork.

Slowly, a white-gloved hand gripped the edge of the hole and dragged its owner up to rest against the debris. "Ugh, damn it, that kinda hurt." Danny groaned, trying to clear the fuzziness of the impact from his head as a shadow loomed over him.

"I've had enough of the games, punk. Give yourself up and I'll consider shaving a couple decades off your sentence." Walker, the Jailer of the Ghost Zone, sneered down at the young halfa.

Taking flight to be even with the skeletal looking ghost, Danny rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "the only thing that needs shaving is that ego of yours, Walker." Reaching to his belt he pulled out the Fenton Thermos and willed a swirling green and  
blue ball, a combination of his ecto-energies, to form in his right hand, "now do me a favor and get in the thermos before I charbroil you and throw you on ice."

Walker scowled before throwing his hands in front of him and fired ecto-beams at Phantom. Danny dodged left and right, avoiding the twin beams of energy easily before he released the swirling orb in his palm and chucked it at the jailer's face. The sphere  
met its mark and detonated like a stick of dynamite, sending Walker hurdling into the street below, and carving a deep trench in the solid concrete.

The jailer groaned and tried to pick himself up, only to feel the familiar vacuum like sensation of the Fenton Thermos taking hold of him. "This ain't over punk! I _will_ have you in a cell! Mark my woooordds…!" Danny capped the thermos when the  
blue light faded, "yeah, yeah, save it for visitors day."

Running a gloved hand across his face, he mock-wiped his brow in relief. Glancing at his watch, a ghost gift from Clockwork, he sighed, "Crap, I better move. I promised Sam and Tuck I'd meet them for movie night. First things first, drop big-tall-and-ghostly  
off in the GZ and then I can head to Sam's." Turning intangible he shot off like a bullet from a gun towards Fenton Works.

* * *

"Hey Sam, have you heard from Danny? He said he'd meet us here like half an hour ago." Tucker called to the recyclo-vegetarian. Tucker Foley had grown in the four years since his best friend became Danny Phantom. His thick glasses had been replaced with  
contacts and he no longer looked like your average scrawny techno-geek. Of course, he was still a techno-geek, no amount of teasing and being called a loser would negate his love for technology. The years of fighting ghosts along side Danny had done  
him wonders. His face had lost all traces of baby fat, making his features more squared and defined. He had gained a decent amount of muscle mass as well, not enough to make him look like a body-builder but just enough to give him a fit appearance.  
Ditching his usual yellow long-sleeve and olive green cargos, he had opted for a red shortsleeve tee and black cargo shorts.

Sam hummed as she looked through her vast collection of DVD's before she answered. "He hasn't texted me. Must have ran into some annoying ghost, like the Box Ghost or something." Sam Manson had grown as well in her years of ghost fighting. While still  
retaining her goth look she had opted for black and white tees sporting the DP logo, and black skinny jeans with her usual combat boots. She too had developed as well, her figure had become more womanly and pronounced, often attracting more attention  
than she prefered from the guys at Casper High.

Before Tucker could add to her response he felt a cold sensation sweep over him and the temperature in the room dropped. "BOO!" Tucker jumped from his theatre seat, screaming. Danny turned tangible behind his friend, clutching his sides in laughter at  
Tuckers reaction.

"Dammit Danny! Don't do that!" Tucker shouted, his face glowing red in embarrassment.

"Hahaha, sorry Tuck. I couldn't resist." Danny gasped, wiping a tear from his eye while his male best friend glared at him. Sam chuckled and shook her head before grabbing a movie from the shelf, "speaking of ghosts, how about a Ghostbusters marathon?"

Danny finally regained his breathing and nodded his head, a satisfied grin on his face. Tucker grunted in agreement while he sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. Danny took his seat in one of the recliners while Sam popped the movie in the player  
and turned on the projector. She took her seat and the huge projector screen lit up, music pouring from the surround sound.

The halfa propped his chin on his fist and watched as the previews danced across the screen. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tucker stretch his arms above his head, causing his shirt to ride up and expose his toned stomach. Danny perked up when his  
sensitive hearing picked up a quickening heartbeat. Glancing to his left, he saw Sam staring at Tucker, her heart was pounding and a faint flush of pink could be seen on her cheeks in the dim lighting. Sam's eyes went wide when she realized Danny  
had noticed her ogling their friend. The halfa smirked when she froze and rolled his eyes, returning his attention to the movie. _'Lovebirds'_

An hour into the movie Tucker had passed out in his recliner, hands folded behind his head and red beret covering his eyes. Sam and Danny had turned the volume down on the movie and were talking quietly.

"So have you thought about what we talked about the other day?" The goth girl asked, her eyes narrowed and trained on Danny. He rubbed the back of his neck and flinched under Sam's glare. He sighed, "yeah. I just don't know if I'm ready to tell them yet.  
I mean, yeah it's been four years and yeah Phantoms reputation has grown over that time, but...there's always that chance that they just won't accept me."

Sam nodded in understanding. It would be a difficult thing, revealing to your own parents that you're half-ghost. Especially if said parents are ghost-hunters who have threatened to rip you apart 'molecule-by-molecule'. "Well whatever you decide Danny,  
and whatever happens, me and Tucker will have your back no matter what." She smiled reassuringly at him.

Danny smiled in return before smirking, "speaking of which, when are you gonna tell Tuck you've got a crush on him?"

Sam froze and blushed bright red, "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

The ghost-boy grinned at her, "oh c'mon Sammy. Even someone as clueless as me can see how you look at him." He glanced back at his sleeping friend before turning back to Sam, his expression serious and caring. "He likes you too you know. He told me himself.  
Said, 'dude I gotta be straight with you. Since you're my best friend and like a brother to me, it's only fair I tell you; I have a crush on Sam.'" Danny paused to gauge her reaction. Sam looked over at Tuckers sleeping form, a small smile on her  
lips. "I think you two would be really good together. With his love of meat, your recyclo-vegetarian lifestyle, and the fact you've known eachother since pre-K, you guys would make a good match. Opposites attract and all that."

Sam paused, mulling over his words. The smile on her face grew and her cheeks flushed, "you know what? You're right, I'll tell him. On one condition." It was her turn to smirk as Danny's expression faltered. "I'll tell Tucker when you tell your parents."

Danny paused and considered her ultimatum. Sticking out his hand, he looked her in the eye and nodded in agreement. Taking his hand, they shook twice and let go. The two friends turned their attention back to the movie, deep in thought while Tucker continued  
to snore in his seat, completely unaware of his friends discussion.

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 **I know, I know. Not the best chapter, but like I said, it was a filler. The real stuff will start picking up in the next chapter. For now let's take a vote. Comment 'Sucker Fenton' if you want next chapter to be The Reveal chapter. Comment Tick-Tock if you want more of Clockwork and Death interaction in the next chapter.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Remember to R &R!**


	3. Ch 3: Time and Death

**Ok so last chapter I told ya'll to vote on what you wanted chapter 3 to contain: either the reveal or some more Clockwork-Death interaction. Well we had a tie, so I decided to do a double update and upload both chapters at once. First up will be the Clockwork/Death interaction chapter.**

 **Thank you all so much for your reviews and your compliments. You have no idea how much it means to get such positive feedback.**

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Deep in the Ghost Zone, hidden from prying eyes, lies the lair of an ancient and powerful ghost. Floating in the endless void of the swirling green and black of the GZ, is a tall clock tower. Similar in size and shape to Big Ben in London, this tower was unique all the same. In its four corners, midway up the hundred-foot tower, sat large gargoyle statues. The tower itself was built of dark purple and black stone blocks, its windows were open and allowed the distinct sounds of ticking and clock chimes to carry through the Zone.

Inside this marvel were thousands of clocks of various types and models. From cuckoos to pocket watches, wrist watches to wall clocks. All ticking and chiming at odd intervals, creating a strange and hypnotic harmony. And in the center of this tick-tocking menagerie sat the main mechanism of the tower; a thirty-foot pendulum swinging back and forth, its momentum kept by the constant shift of gears, turning at regular intervals. A large clock face topped all of this, nearly twenty feet tall and just as wide.

This is the lair of Clockwork, Master of Time. A very old and very wise ghost, tasked with keeping a watchful eye on the ever-shifting Time Streams. He bears a tall staff-like scepter, topped with a simple clock face. Though ordinary looking, this scepter channeled the powers of the time master. Able to pause, rewind and fast-forward, as well as move through time with a simple press of a button.

It was here that we find our ever-watchful Time Master attending to his duty as always. Floating before him, in the middle of the main room, were a dozen viewing portals, all showing him different scenes; few showed major events soon to take place, others warned of possible fluctuations in the Time Stream, and some presented possible points of interest. In one portal, he could see a blurry still-image of the Ghostly Court, hundreds of ghosts on bended knee (those who had legs) honoring the specter that sits upon the throne.

A flash of light appeared behind Clockwork, the image of a large, rounded skull missing its lower jaw took shape before a portal appeared. The Master of Death emerged from the portal and greeted the Time Master, "hello my old friend. How are the Time Streams?"

Clockwork was silent for a moment, giving the portals a once over, then waved his hand to disperse them. "All is at it should be," he replied, turning to the Reaper.

Death nodded sagely...before cracking a smile and started to chuckle. The Time Master smirked and waved his hand once more, summoning a set of high backed chairs, a plate of Clockwork's famous chocolate chip cookies, and two cups of ecto-herbal tea- a rare blend of tea found and brewed only in the Ghost Zone- before motioning for Death to take a seat. The two masters were silent for a moment, sipping their tea and munching on cookies. Death set aside his drink and turned to Clockwork, "we have only a couple of weeks before we inform the 'new heir to the throne', have you seen anything else in the Time Stream?"

Clockwork sighed, his form changing to that of his toddler self, "unfortunately no. Since that mishap with Dark Dan, I have been unable to see more than fragments of Daniel future. What I have seen is pain and heartbreak, but I have also seen happiness and hope. The next several weeks will be a challenge for the young halfa."

Death nodded and sipped his tea, "once he reveals himself to his family, should we intervene? They appeared ready to kill him and, while I toy with the idea of finally getting the other half of his life, I would rather see him live a _full_ life like he deserves."

"Do not worry my old friend, the boy will be fine. He will still have his friends, as well as his lair in the Ghost Zone."

The Reaper swung his scythe, ripping his own version of Clockwork's viewing portals, revealing Danny Fenton. The boy was asleep in his friend, Sam Manson's, theatre basement. "Our afterlives have been long and lonely. So many friends and acquaintances we have lost over the eons. I never thought I would find a human, much less a half-human, that I would care for as much as this boy." Death's expression turned sad as he thought of the people and ghosts he had befriended and lost throughout his afterlife.

Clockwork looked at his old friend with sympathy, and smirked mischievously, "my friend, you must relax. You'll worry yourself to Death if you keep on like this." The Reaper shot a playful glare at the Time Master. Death waved his scythe and cleared the portal and leaned back against the upholstered chair with a sigh.

"Yes, yes you're right. The boy will be fine. Hell, he's going to be King of Ghosts in less than a month, for specter sakes." The Reaper sighed once more and stood, "thank you for the hospitality, Clockwork, but I must be going. Lives to reap, souls to lead to the afterlife." Swinging his scythe, a new portal opened to Death's lair. Saying their goodbyes, the Reaper floated through the swirling skull and the portal closed.

Clockwork returned to his viewing portals and sighed. He waved his scepter and brought a new portal towards him. In it showed a still-frame of the Time Tower, ghosts gathered on both sides of a long, neon green strip of carpet. At the head of the gathering sat a tall black arch with white and silver accents. Surrounding the columns of the arch were black vases bearing a silver DP logo, and contained glowing green spectral flowers. Beneath the archway floated the Time Master himself, and before him stood two figures. The one on the left wore a black tux, black vest, a white dress shirt and silver tie. On his snowy white hair floated the flaming green crown, and he was staring at a figure next to him. The other figure wore a flowing white dress with a black and silver bridal train. Her skin was ghostly blue, and her hair, through tamed beneath a shimmering silver veil, was bright blue and seemed to flicker like a lit flame.

Clockwork rubbed his chin curiously as he observed this new scene, "hmm, well isn't this interesting." The familiar chime of the towers main mechanism began to sound. "Ah, the sound of wedding bells."

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 **Aaaand that's chapter 3! Bit of a filler but I hope you enjoyed. They care so much for Danny. I like to see Clockwork like Danny's surrogate father and I want to give Death more of a surrogate uncle role. Think of him as macabre but with a caring heart (or ghost core) heheh. Up next is our reveal chapter. Danny will tell his parents and Sam might tell Tucker about her crush. And don't worry, I will be providing background for Sam's seemingly random attraction to Tucker. R &R my beautiful readers! **


	4. Ch 4: Techno-Gothica

**Alright readers, here's the second chapter of my double update. This will be Sam and Tucker centric. I'm toying with the first person p.o.v. thing. I like it sometimes, because of the first-hand reactions and feelings but sometimes it just doesn't flow right. Anyway, thank you all for being such amazing readers and reviewers. Two chapters posted less than three days ago and already 30 favorites and around 20 followers. My phone is going nuts with all the favorites. So once again, thank you. Enjoy!**

 **DANNY P.O.V.**

To say I was stressed would be a huge understatement. It's the last week of senior year, which means it's finals week. I haven't had to fight off more than a few ghosts a week, which was a nice breather for the first week or two, but now it's just making me nervous. And to add on to all of this I still have the deal I made with Sam. That stressed me out more than anything. How the hell am I supposed to tell my parents that not only am I half-ghost, but that I'm also their least favorite ghost, Danny Phantom. I'd rather fight Undergrowth and Nocturne at the same time.

It's Monday, the first day of the last week of senior year and it couldn't be short enough. I barely slept at all last night, and I just can't seem to motivate myself to get out of bed. I turn my head to look at the clock on my nightstand; 7:15am. I sighed, "might as well get up and get this day over with." Groaning I stood up and made my way to my bathroom to get ready for the day. After a brushing my teeth and a quick comb through my mess of raven black hair, I made my way to my closet. Choosing a black tee with my white DP logo and a pair of faded blue jeans, I made my wait downstairs for some breakfast. As I was pouring myself a bowl I heard the whir of a drill and the thump of a hammer coming from my parents ghost lab. _Great, another invention I get to avoid_ , I thought bitterly.

I looked across the table at the empty seat. Jazz started college earlier this year so it had just been me and my parents. I miss her and her constant psychology mumbo-jumbo. But I knew she deserved going to college and getting away from our crazy, over obsessive parents.

I glanced at the clock on the oven and noted that it was time to go. Clearing my bowl, I walked to the front door, grabbed my backpack and walked around the to the garage. I opened the garage door to find my pride and joy. There in the open space sat my 1980 custom Harley Davidson Softail. All black gloss finish with ecto-green pinstripe detailing. Chrome frame, with my DP insignia on the gas tank in its traditional snow white. Having genius scientists as parents meant that I was more mechanically inclined than most teenagers. I'm proud to say this little piece of american machinery was hand built by yours truly. I swung my leg over the seat and snapped on my full face helmet and started up the engine. The roar and vibration of the engine got my adrenaline pumping. Shifting into gear, I twisted the accelerator and took off like a bat out of hell. _It may be a Monday, but this is a damn good way to start the day_. I grinned and gunned it, flying down the street in the direction of Casper High.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **THIRD PERSON P.O.V.**

Danny pulled into the parking lot just as the the first bell rang and raced as fast as he could to his first class, which, unfortunately, was Mr. Lancers English Literature class. He peered through the small window in the door before trying to slip in the room unnoticed. Mr. Lancers voice rang out when he was halfway to his desk, "nice of you to finally join us mister Fenton. That's your fourth tardy this month. Be late tomorrow and you'll be spending the rest of your afternoons this week in detention."

The raven haired boy sighed and plopped down in his seat, "sorry mister Lancer, I overslept. Again."

"Yes, yes. Now class, turn to page three-hundred and ninety-four and read to the end of the chapter." There was a shuffle of book bags being opened and the thumps of books being placed on desks. Danny got out his own book, opened it up and stared at the pages blankly. He turned his head to look out the window and sighed, _I can't wait for this day to end._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lancers class seemed to drag even slower than usual. Danny silently willed the clock to move faster, counting the minutes until he was free and could meet up with Sam and Tuck in his next class. Finally after what seemed like hours the bell rang and students began to file out of the classroom. Danny trailed behind to leave last and made his way towards Sam's locker. He spotted Tucker tapping away on his newest PDA while Sam was digging through her locker.

He smiled in thought when he saw his best friends. He'd always thought the two of them would be good for one another. Danny and Sam had dated for a while in sophomore year, but they had some issues with certain aspects of one another's lives so they decided they'd be better off with just staying friends. There were no hard feelings, and Danny was glad to see that Sam had moved on, even if a little reluctantly.

"Hey Sam, hey Tuck." Danny greeted as he joined them. Sam paused and smiled at him before turning back to her locker, and Tucker shot him a peace sign while his gaze was fixed on the PDA. "I thought Lancer's class was never going to end. How was your guys' class?" Tucker and Sam shared a first class together, Advanced Algebra.

Tucker and Sam groaned in unison before the former answered him, "dude that class could not be any shorter. Seriously what is it with adding letters to the already pain in the ass equations?" Sam nodded in agreement.

Danny chuckled and looked down at Sam. A mischievous grin curled on his lips, "hey Sam, don't you and Tuck have _Chemistry_ today?" Sam started and banged her head on her locker, and whirled around to shoot a glare at the halfa. A smug grin planted firmly on his face. With his eyes still glued to the small screen, Tucker answered for her, "yeah we've got Advanced Chemistry after lunch. Pretty sure we've got a final today too."

Sam's face grew red as Tucker spoke, however unaware he was of their 'chemistry'. Danny snickered and started walking towards their next class, Tucker matching him almost instinctually with Sam bringing up the rear after snapping out of her embarrassment. Dropping back to walk with Sam, Danny leaned down and whispered, "would you just tell him already? I'm getting _way_ too much fun out of this." Sam glared up at him, her face turning red again.

"I _will_. It's not exactly easy to tell someone you've known since kindergarten that you want to date them." Her voice grew quiet and depressed as she finished talking. Danny patted her shoulder in sympathy.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just that I know you guys would be good together and make each other happy no matter your differences."

Sam smiled and sped up to walk beside Tucker. At this the techno-geek looked up and smiled at her. Danny gave a small smile as his two friends began to chat excitedly, their eyes lighting up every time they glanced at one another. _Today is really looking up_. He thought contentedly as they walked into their next class.

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Sam was nervous, more so than when she told Danny her feelings two years ago. After school had let out Danny had given them some excuse about needing to go home and finish some chores, gave her a mischievous wink and tore off down the road towards Fenton Works, leaving Sam and Tucker. Alone. Together. They walked in silence for a moment, Tucker tapping away on his PDA and Sam feeling like a nervous wreck. Tucker glanced at her and noticed how tense she looked, her face screwed, an indication she was deep in thought. He nudged her side, "wanna go to Nasty Burger and grab a bite?" Sam looked up at him and blinked before she comprehended what he asked and nodded. They took off down the sidewalk towards the burger joint.

They made it inside the restaurant, ordered and sat in a booth less than fifteen minutes later and ate slowly in an awkward silence. They would glance at one another every few minutes, sometimes locking eyes then looking away blushing. You know, typical sappy romantic-comedy stuff. Sam thought her heart might stop when they both reached for the ketchup at the same time and their hands touched. Tuckers heart, on the other hand, was racing. Mustering up all the courage ghost fighting had given him, he grabbed her hand before she could pull away and met her confused gaze. He said a silent prayer to anyone that would listen and willed himself to speak.

"Sam...I need to tell you something." Okay, she was pretty sure her heart was now completely stopped. Her voice was failing her so she nodded, signaling him to continue. Tucker took a deep slow breath and let it out before he spoke again. "Sam, I just want to start by saying you are one of the most important people in my life. You're beautiful, and smart, and tough as nails. I know I give you crap about being recyclo-vegetarian a lot, but in truth it's of the many things I admire about you. No matter what people say, you do your own thing and don't let people get you down. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I like you Sam. I like you a lot." Tucker paused and gazed into her violet pools, his nerves on edge and heart beating like a jackhammer.

Sam was shocked, and moved by his words. She didn't know whether to laugh in relief or cry in joy, so she did both. With tears in her eyes and chuckled and curled her fingers around his and smiled. "I like you too Tucker."

The techno-geek broke into a huge grin and jumped out of the booth and whooped, "wooo-hooo! Go Tucker! Go Foley! Uh-huh! Oh yeah!"

"If you don't sit down and be quiet I'm gonna take that statement back." Tucker immediately sobered up and sat back down, feeling like his face might crack with how wide he was smiling.

"So, one more question…" The techno-geek started, Sam cocked her head questioningly. "Will you be my girlfriend?" Sam's smile was so radiant, you'd think the sunny day was replaced by storm clouds. She nodded in response, unable to find her voice. Tucker grinned and took her hand. She responded by curling her fingers around his once again, and the two started to talk and laugh, feeling like the happiest people in the world.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Aaaaaaand there ya have it folks. Sam and Tucker are finally a thing. Just to recap, Danny and Sam WERE a thing, but found that it would be better if they went back to being just friends. Sam and Danny have moved on and Danny thinks his two friends are a good match. I wanted to do Danny's reveal in this chapter but it ran a little longer than I anticipated so I'll be doing the reveal in the next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed! Don't forget to R &R, my beautiful readers!**


	5. Ch 5: Phantom Pain

**Alllllrigghtyy then. This is the big reveal chapter. I took the scene from chapter 1 as a basis for this chapter with a bit of tweaking to add more detail. Thank you all again for your support for this story and all the great reviews. You really are some amazing people. Well I hope you enjoy!**

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 **Friday: The last day of Senior Year.**

It had been a stressful week of tests, end of the year assemblies, and restless nights. Danny and his friends were almost in disbelief with how quickly it seemed to go by, no matter how long the days seemed to drag. However stressful the week was, there were a few things that Danny deemed worth enduring their final week of high school; Summer was here, graduation was Sunday, and his two best friends were finally together.

As the three made their way out the front doors of Casper High for the last time they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Tucker dropped to his knees and folded his hands in a mock-prayer, "thank you! We're free! Finally free!"

Sam rolled her eyes and smacked Tucker's beret off his head, "hey dork, cool it with the dramatics." He stood, replacing his beret, and gave her a sheepish smile. Danny laughed alongside them as they made their way towards the parking lot.

"I can't believe it's over. Four years of that horrible school lunch and Lancers' classes and it's finally over. I feel like I've been in the Fenton Weasel all this time and I just got out." Danny shuddered at the memory of being stuffed inside the uber-cramped ecto-vacuum, courtesy of his father. Tucker couldn't help but laugh at the idea, while Sam gave him a sympathetic smile. Danny glared at Tucker before he got an idea. Smirking, he walked up to his bike and swung his leg over the seat and grabbed his helmet of the handlebar, "so Tuck…" His friend looked up from his PDA. "You and Sam kissed yet?" Tucker stumbled, almost dropping his PDA, his face turning red.

Sam crossed her arms and glared at Danny, who was grinning smugly. "So Danny...you tell your parents you're Phantom yet?"

The halfas' face fell and Sam almost felt sorry for him...almost. "I was planning on telling them when I got home. Might as well get it over with." Danny muttered, snapping his helmet on and turned the key in the ignition of the bike, the engine roared to life.

"You want some back-up?" Tucker called over the noise. Danny simply shook his head and put the bike in gear before he turned the throttle and took off down the street. _'Well, here goes nothing.'_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Danny pulled into the garage ten minutes later and killed the engine. He closed the garage and made his way to the back door, in through the kitchen, and stood before the doorway of the lab. The sounds of sparking torches and a power drill drifted up from the lab below. The halfa took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves and made his way down the metal steps. As usual, Jack and Maddie Fenton stood side by side, hunched over a workbench, working on their latest invention.

"Mom, Dad." Danny fidgeted nervously, casting a glance between his parents.

Jack and Maddy Fenton both turned from whatever new ghost weapon they'd been working on and removed their goggles to look at him. Maddy spoke first, a smile on both their faces, "Danny, sweetheart, how was your last day?"

"Danny-boy! You're just in time to see the new Fenton Ecto-Shredder!" Jack boomed, a proud smile on his face.

Danny cast a wary glance at the weapon, which seemed to resemble some sort of demented weed-wacker, and took a few steps back. Maddy lowered the blowtorch she'd been holding and concern swept across her face, "sweetheart? Is everything alright?"

The raven haired boy wrung his hands and lowered his head. Taking a deep breath he looked up at them, put on a brave face and willed himself to change. Twin circles of brilliant blue light appeared at his waist before splitting to travel up and down his body. The usual white shirt with red trim, faded blue jeans, and red vans were replaced by a black hazmat suit, sporting a white DP insignia, with a silver belt, white gloves and white boots. His normally raven hair turned snow white and his piercing blue eyes changed to a glowing radioactive green. "I am Danny Phantom."

The two ghost hunters stood stock still, as if frozen by his ghostly ice powers. The lab was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop.

Jack jumped into action and pulled out a small silver and green pistol, aiming it at Danny. "Where's my son spook?"

Panic and confusion swept over the halfa, "w-what? Dad I'm right here! I'm Danny! Fenton and Phantom!" He took a step back, hands raised in surrender. Jack matched his retreat, the strange pistol still aimed at his chest. Maddie was at Jack's side now, a matching pistol clutched in her hands.

"Don't lie to us ghost! How dare you impersonate our son's form. Now tell us where he is, before we blast you into a pile of ectoplasm!" Maddie was furious, so blinded by her hatred of ghosts that she was unable to see the truth.

Danny couldn't believe it. He knew his parents hated ghosts, but how could they be so blind not to see that he was still their son. That he was a hero who had done so much good in protecting the city and its people, and risked his life time and time again. "It-it's me. Mom it's Danny, your son-AAAHHH!" Pain coursed through his body, forcing him to his knees, when two small darts connected with his chest, piercing just above and below his ghost core. Panting, Danny raised a gloved hand and grabbed the wires that from the darts, and realized the barbs had come from the end of the pistol in Maddie's hands.

"Taste Fenton Ecto-Taser, you ectoplasmic scum!" Jack roared, and raised his own taser, finger curling around the trigger.

Tears clouded his vision, chest still wracked with pain from the powerful electric shock. Before Jack could pull the trigger Danny willed his body to become invisible and shot through the ceiling and out of Fenton Works as fast as he could.

 _How could they do this? How could they not see that it's me, really me? They accepted me when that whole mess with Freakshow happened. Why couldn't they accept me now?_ Danny flew as fast as he could towards Sam's house, eyes burning as tears trailed down his face.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam ran her hands through her long black hair, examining its length in her closet mirror. "Tucker, do you think I should get a haircut?"

Tucker looked up from his laptop at his goth girlfriend, taking in her image and smiled. "You should keep it long, you really make it work."

Sam blushed and walked over to him and leaned down to peck him on the lips. They broke apart when a black and white blur flew through the ceiling and landed on the floor. Danny sat on his knees, hunched over so his messy white hair hung over his eyes and most of his face. Sam took a step towards him, concern evident on her face, "Danny…?"

The halfa looked up at his friends, and the couple gasped at what they saw. His normally bright, glowing eyes were dull and ringed with redness. Tears tracked down his cheeks and his body shook with silent sobs. Sam and Tucker ran to him and crouched down, wrapping their arms around him, and hauled him to a chair. Danny went without a fight and sat down, unable to stand from the shudders that wracked his body.

"Danny what happened?" Sam pleaded, she took his hand and tried to look in his eyes.

Phantom met her gaze and spoke so low, Sam and Tucker had to strain to hear him, "they rejected me."

"What do you mean dude?" Tucker asked, he placed a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"They thought I was an imposter. A ghost who had kidnapped me or something. They...they tried to destroy me."

Tucker clenched a fist at his side and Sam threw her arms around Danny, his sobs finally breaking free. The techno-geek started to pace the room, anger coursing through his body, and rage in his eyes. _Those bastards. How could they that to him?_ Tucker, being an only child, had always thought of Danny as a brother. They always had each other's back no matter what. Even when he had gained his own ghost powers and was nothing but a jealous jerk. Even when he became King Tuck, Danny never turned his back on him. Tucker wanted to punch something. He wanted to punch _someone._ More specifically, he wanted to punch Jack and Maddie Fenton. When he had seen the tears in Danny's eyes he almost couldn't believe it. Danny never cried, he was always strong and brave when Tuck and Sam couldn't idea that someone like Danny had been crushed to the point of tears infuriated Tucker.

Tucker walked back to his heart-broken friend and hauled him to his feet. The techno-geek forced Danny to meet his eyes. The two stared at eachother for a moment, Tucker's eyes showing a conveying a look of determination and protectiveness. Then he pulled the halfa into a hug, like a brother would hug a brother. "You're gonna be ok Danny. Sam and I, we're here for you." His girlfriend joined the two in a group hug, her arms wrapping around both of the boys waists and finished, "and we always will be."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Man, talk about the feels, am I right? If you're confused as to why more happened in this chapters reveal than the scene in chapter one, just remember that Clockwork can only see bits and pieces of Danny's future, and even then it can be a little blurry. I hope you enjoyed. Please keep with the reviews, they really do help.**

 **I read another fanfic not long ago titled 'Danny's Moods, and it made a mention of a brotherly bond between Tucker and Danny. Being the only boy my parents had I have a few friends I call brothers. So I liked the idea of these two best friends seeing each other as brothers. I'm a master of feels so be prepared for when Ember and Dani make their debut. Which by the way Dani will make her appearance in a few chapters and Ember coming in not long after that. Thank you for reading my beautiful readers!**


	6. Ch 6: The Next Step

**After being posted for only a week this story has already gotten 2k views, almost 50 followers and 30 favorites. That's just amazing you guys, sincerely. Thank you all so much! Now on to chapter 6: The Next Step. There will be some Clockwork interaction this chapter, hope you like it!**

* * *

Team Phantom sat together in Sam's room, talking until the sun began to dip down on the horizon. Sam suggested they all stay the night, her parents were in Paris on a business trip and wouldn't be back until early Sunday in time for graduation. The three made their way to the basement/in-home theatre, and laid out sleeping bags. Sam popped in a movie and the trio settled down, paying little to no mind to the giant screen. Tucker and Sam lay side by side, their hands clasped as they talked quietly, while Danny lay silent. The days event playing over and over in his mind, while fighting the tears that still threatened to spill.

Before long his two friends had fallen asleep, filling the room with their soft snores along with the muffled sounds of the movie that played on the projector screen. Danny couldn't sleep. Rather his mind was unwilling to calm down enough to allow his exhausted body to shut down and fall asleep. Hours passed, and the movie had long since ended. The halfa gave up his futile attempts at sleep and stood, being careful not to wake up his still sleeping friends, and made his way up the stairs. Once he was sure he wouldn't wake the couple, he willed himself to change into his ghost form and flew through the ceiling to the roof. The moon was full tonight, its surface casting pale light on the town. Danny gave a long sigh and sat cross legged on the gravel rooftop, his eyes scanning the roof tops and occasionally looking up at the pale celestial body.

"Couldn't sleep huh?" Danny snapped out of his daze and turned his head to see Tucker coming through the roof access door. He nodded in response and looked back at the moon. The techno-geek walked up and sat next to him, letting the silence of the night permeate the air.

"You and Sam seem really happy together." Danny stated, breaking the silence. Tucker glanced at his friends white haired friend. The halfa looked back at him and gave im a half-hearted smile, "I'm glad."

Tucker smiled and put a hand on Danny's shoulder, "thanks man, I wish I'd asked her out sooner though. You know she can't resist the Foley Charm." Danny chuckled and rolled his eyes. The two drifted back into silence and continued to look out at the town laid out before them. "So, what are you gonna do now, dude?"

Danny sighed and laid back on the roof, hooking his hands behind his head. "I'm not sure Tuck. I can't go back home, and I won't hide out in your's or Sam's attic for the time being." Danny thought for a moment before he continued, "I guess I could go to the GZ for a while. Clockwork told me a couple years back that I have a lair floating around somewhere."

"Dude, your own lair? That's freakin' awesome!" Tucker exclaimed, a huge grin on his face.

"Yeah I guess so. Problem is, at this point, it's probably nothing but a bare stretch of rock. I don't know how to add stuff to it yet."

"Maybe you could talk to clockwork or some of our other allies. They've all got lairs, and they had to get there somehow."

Danny considered this for a moment. Tucker had a point, a ghost's lair wasn't just _there_. They had to be built somehow. If he learned how, he wouldn't have to worry about having nowhere to go. "Looks like a trip to Clockwork's Tower is in order. I think I'll head in tomorrow when mom- Jack and Maddie- aren't home." He couldn't bring himself to call them _mom_ and _dad_ , not after what had happened.

Tucker pumped a fist in the air, "alright! Trip to the Ghost Zone!" Danny Smiled at his friends excited behavior. His conversation with Tucker, and the realization that he would have a place to live in the Ghost Zone- a place he oddly felt more at ease in, and more familiar with- was making him feel better, his depressed mood lessening.

Danny willed his rings to appear and turned back into Fenton. "C'mon Tuck. If we're gonna spend a day in the Zone, we're gonna want to be well rested." Tucker nodded in agreement and followed his friend back into the house and down into the basement/theatre. Once Tucker laid his head on the pillow sleep took him almost immediately. Danny lay awake for a while longer. His mind felt lighter and it felt like the weight on his shoulders had lessened. Rolling over and letting out a content sigh, the halfa drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

When morning came the trio woke slowly and made their way to the kitchen. Danny started the coffee maker while Sam and Tucker began making breakfast. Danny watched with an amused smile as the two bickered playfully over the bacon Tucker was cooking and the fruits and veggies Sam had pulled out of the fridge and was now washing in the kitchen sink.

Pouring three mugs of coffee, Danny sat at the table as the two finished making breakfast and set plates of food on the wooden surface. The three chatted as they ate, the boys explaining to Sam about their plans to visit Clockwork that day and possibly see Danny's new lair. "That's great news Danny! It'll be good to see Clockwork again, we haven't seen him in weeks." Sam conceded, popping a strawberry in her mouth.

The halfa nodded in agreement as he munched on his waffle and bacon. "Hopefully I can learn how to build my lair up. Imagine, my own house in the Ghost Zone." He sighed dreamily, a content smile on his face. Sam smiled and rolled her eyes before casting a glance at her boyfriend. Tucker was stuffing his face with bacon, sausage, and bites of waffle as his best friend and girlfriend chatted. She looked at Danny, who met her eyes, and the two chuckled at the techno-geeks table manners.

Tucker looked up from his food and saw their amused smirks, "whut?" He asked around a mouthful of food. Sam and Danny laughed and shook their heads, before returning to their breakfast.

* * *

Once breakfast had been finished and the kitchen cleaned, Danny changed into his ghost formed and put his arms around Sam and Tucker, before turning intangible and made off towards Fenton Works. The three made good time, arriving at the big UFO-shape topped house in only a few minutes. Danny floated through the roof, making his way slowly to the basement laboratory. The house and lab were, luckily, empty.

"Huh, they must be out looking for me-both of me." Danny concluded, making his way to the Ghost Portal and pressing the open button. The doors of the portal slowly groaned open, revealing the glowing swirl that was the ghost portal. Phantom floated in front of the swirling green mass while Sam and Tucker started up the Spectre Speeder. With Tucker giving him the thumbs up, Danny flew into the portal with his friends hot on his trail.

The three flew quickly through the expanse of green, black, and purple, passing dozens of floating purple doors and islands. Before long the forms of massive, floating gears came into view, leading them towards the familiar silhouette of the Time Tower. Team Phantom landed outside the large wood and iron doors and made their approach. The doors responded by swinging inwards with a heavy groan, allowing the trio to make their way towards the center of the tower. Like in the past, Clockwork stood- well _floated_ \- in front of the huge, swinging pendulum, an expectant smile on his scarred face.

"Ah, Daniel. I've been expecting you." Clockwork greeted the ghost-boy with a smirk.

Danny rolled his eyes and smiled at the Time Master, "sorry to keep you waiting. It's been some _Time_ since we last saw you."

Before Clockwork could retort, Sam cut in with a slightly annoyed look on her face, "okay can we do what we came here to do before you start with more Time puns?" Clockwork grinned and Danny's face flushed.

"Right. Sorry." The halfa turned to the Time Master once more. "I- _we_ , came to ask you about my lair...but then again you already knew that." The ancient ghost nodded, smirking. "Right. You also probably know _why_ we came to ask about the lair too."

Clockwork nodded again, his face turned grim. "Yes, Daniel. I am sorry that you had to go through such a heart-breaking situation."

"Thank you. I was hoping you could show me where my lair is and teach me how to build on it."

The Time Master's smile returned, "of course. I have coordinates to the location, which I'm sure Mister Foley will be more than capable of finding." Tucker grinned and shot the old ghost a thumbs up. "As for how to form your lair; it is very similar to using your ghost powers. However, instead of focusing inward, focus on your surroundings. Picture in your mind what you would like on your island, and imagine this item being placed where you want it to go. Start small though, concentrating on large objects can be difficult when first starting construction on your lair." Danny nodded in understanding, his mind racing with ideas and designs for his island lair.

Sam stepped forward and placed her hand on the ghost-boy's shoulder, "thank you Clockwork. It really means a lot to Danny, we all appreciate all you've done for us and for him." The Time Master smiled and nodded in response, then handed a paper with coordinates to Tucker. The techno-geek thanked him and ran out of the room to punch the numbers into the Speeders GZPS-Ghost Zone Positioning System, courtesy of the techno-geek himself.

Sam waved goodbye to Clockwork and dragged a dazed Danny towards the door and into the Speeder. Once the coordinates were punched in, they started the Speeder and raced off to find their friends new home.

* * *

 **So Danny is getting a new home. All information I have on forming a ghost's lair has been borrowed from a few stories, all with different theories and ideas. I take no credit for the process, only for the design; which will be described in the next chapter. Danny is still in pain after last chapters events, but he is slowly beginning to heal. You're probably wondering why Clockwork didn't tell Danny about being King yet, and that's because I have an idea for the Big News. Plus, Danny has been through a lot already and adding King of Ghosts to his shoulders would be just added stress. Stress our favorite half-ghost doesn't need. Anyway, thank you all sooo much for your support of this story, you are all beautiful people. Hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Ch 7: Home Sweet Ghost Zone

**I am so sorry I haven't been able to update over the weekend. I went hunting the last couple days which meant no internet and no wifi. So I wrote down what I wanted for the chapter and typed it up when I got home today.**

 **A few shout outs for my amazing fans!:**

 **Invader Johnny: I sincerely wanna thank you for all the feedback, Danny's home will in fact be one of a kind.**

 **Shademuller: Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm not the best writer but I do try my best. Thank you for showing your support!**

 **Dredd2012: A person of few words yet expressive all the same. Thank you for your reviews and showing your support!**

 **And now, Enjoy!**

* * *

Danny flew as fast as he could through the Ghost Zone, his thoughts racing just as fast. _My own island! My own lair!...My own home…_ He slowed as that last thought hit him. He had had a home. A home filled with ecto-irradiated food, weapons and gadgets that could harm him or scramble his powers if he wasn't careful, and two parents he was sure would love him no matter what. Danny's eyes glowed brighter, burning like orbs of green flames, as anger and betrayal flashed through his verdant radioactive irises. His green orbs dulled and his anger was quickly replaced as sadness and pain swept across his face, _I just don't get it. How could they push me away like that? What made this and that incident with Freakshow and the Reality Gauntlet any different?_

Danny's thoughts continued to wander until Tucker's voice crackled through the Fenton Phones, "hey Danny, GZPS says we're almost there. Phantom Island should be in our sights right about...now."

As the Speeder flew the island slowly came into view. Their eyes widened in awe as they gaped at the island that grew closer and closer. The floating expanse of land was easily two miles wide and maybe three miles long. Made primarily of rock, the island was covered in lush green grass that seemed to glow. One side of the island seemed to be spotted with rolling hills and acres of... _trees?_ Sure enough there was a small forest-which Sam would later find consisted mainly of pines, maples, and oak trees. Towards the center of the island sat a flowing waterfall around twenty feet tall, and was pouring its shimmering clear water into a small lake.

Sam's eyes sparkled in amazement, "oh my god…"

Tucker leaned forward in the co-pilot's seat, "dude, this place is…"

"Beautiful." Danny gazed down at the glowing emerald island... _his_ island.

* * *

The three circled the island a couple times before setting down and a small clearing near the lake. As Sam and Tucker exited the Speeder, they couldn't help but release a content sigh when they heard the almost peaceful and gentle roar of the water that cascaded down the tall waterfall.

Sam was the first to break their reverie, "this place is amazing Danny! I didn't know this much nature could be found in the Ghost Zone."

Tucker nodded his agreement, though his eyes were fixated on the grass they glowed at their feet, "speaking of, what's with the ghost grass?"

Danny shrugged, looking at the grass quizzically. Sam crouched and plucked a handful of the glowing grass. She examined it for a moment, rolling some of the blades between her thumb and index finger, then looked up at the swirling green and purple sky for a moment longer. "I think," She started, getting the boys attentions, "that instead of the plants getting their energy from photosynthesis, they absorb the ectoplasm in the air to produce energy. Kind've how you seem to absorb ecto-plasm when you visit the GZ, Danny." The halfa nodded in understanding, he knew better than to argue with Sam. Ever since she had been possessed by Undergrowth's plants a few years ago, she seemed more in tune with nature. The boy's would joke that Sam's 'green thumb' had turned into a 'green hand'.

"Well, I think it's time we give this 'build-your-own-lair' thing a try." Tucker rubbed his hands together, eager to see what his friend would be able to construct on this figuratively blank slate.

Danny started feeling nervous, the idea that he could construct things on his island seemingly out of thin air seemed like a far fetched idea. "Tucker, I'm not even sure this is gonna work. I mean, just making a building or a house just _appear_? That makes no sense."

Tucker was already way ahead of his friends train of thought. "I figured you'd have doubts about the logic of all of this. That's why I ran some signature scans of the Time Tower as well as some of the plant life here from the Speeder. It turns out that everything here is similar to the nucleotides in our DNA. However, instead of everything being made of a phosphate, a sugar, and a nitrogen, everything here is, in some way or another, made of ectoplasm. That's the GZ's cellular building block." The techno-geek paused for a moment to make sure his friends were following him so far, and seeing that they were, continued on. "So, basing off what Clockwork told you about manipulating your powers outwards, you basically focus on the ectoplasm in the air and manipulate it to form materials and shapes and structures quite literally out of thin air."

"Wow, Tucker, that actually...makes a lot of sense." Sam complimented, her chest swelling with pride at her boyfriend's quick-thinking and technological ingenuity. Tucker beamed, a smug grin on his face.

Danny nodded and took a deep breath before letting it out. "Alright, I'll give it a shot." Taking another deep breath, he closed his eyes and began to focus on his ghost-core. In his mind's eye he could see a glowing ice crystal, about the size of a human heart, with green energy swirling within.

Slowly he began to focus outwards on the energy that surrounded him. Danny could see that too, the microscopic particles of green ectoplasm swirling around them in a chaotic dance. Once he established where the energy was he began to picture a house in his mind.

Sam and Tucker watched, eyes wide, as a huge shape began to shimmer next to the lake, slowly taking shape as Danny concentrated. As the minutes passed the shimmering shape began to take shape and solidify. Before long a huge two story house stood before them.

Danny dropped to one knee as his eyes flew open and he drew in a large, shuddering breath. His friends rushed to his side and helped him stand.

"Danny, are you alright?" Sam's eyes were full of concern as they helped carry him towards the house. Danny gave a tired smile and nodded as he allowed his friends to carry his exhausted form into the house.

It appeared to be a large two story rectangular house, the outside was covered in black flagstone, the mortar between the stones was a glowing ectoplasmic green. The front door was mainly black with a white DP symbol in the middle. They walked in the door and gaped at what they saw; the bottom floor was dominated by a large kitchen that connected to a huge open living room, the walls throughout were black and the carpet was a thick, fluffy white, like freshly fallen snow. The kitchen held two large four-burner stoves, a huge fridge, and a several sets of black and white trimmed cabinets and counters. In the living room sat a massive black leather wrap-around couch facing a tall white bricked fireplace. Above the mantel was a space for a large flat-screen tv.

They carefully climbed a spiral stairwell in the far right corner of the living room that led to the second level. They noted that this floor consisted of three large bedrooms, each with its own full bathroom, all sticking with the black on white color scheme. Two of the rooms contained a queen sized four-poster bed made of black mahogany, framed by white curtains. On each side of the bed sat black nightstands with white table lamps.

The bathrooms were a marvel in and of themselves. Containing a waterfall shower tiled in a black and ecto-green checker pattern, and two vanity sinks. The sink cabinets were also made of black mahogany and the sink basins themselves were made of snow-white marble. Standard white, porcelain toilets sat in the corners of the bathrooms next to the walk in showers.

The master bedroom, which would be Danny's bedroom, sported a slightly altered color-scheme. The walls were painted black with white wood trim and ecto-green carpeting. The bed was a king sized, four-poster, black mahogany. The wood posts were painted a snow white and were framed by ecto-green curtains. The master bathroom was similar to the other bathrooms, expect for the large in-ground jacuzzi and the long double vanity sink that dominated the bathroom.

Sam and Tucker commented on everything as they walked through the house, noting all the intricate details in the mouldings and the special inlaid designs on the mahogany wood. Danny could only smile with tired eyes as they dragged him from room to room, taking in his handiwork.

They ended the impromptu tour in the living room and laid Danny on the end of the couch, propping his head on a white couch pillow that sported a inverted DP insignia.

Tucker plopped down at Danny's feet and breathed in a sigh of amazement, "dude, this place is awesome! Those bathrooms were amazing! And there, above the fireplace? Perfect spot for a huuuge flatscreen, Danny."

The halfa grinned, "tell me about it Tuck. This place was exciting to build but, man, does it really suck the energy right out of you. Must've been why Clockwork said to start small." He chuckled to himself, his eyes were starting to grow heavy with exhaustion.

Sam noted Danny's exhausted expression and walked to a small closet near the front entryway. In her surprise, she found a set of spare blankets and pillows. Grabbing three of each, she closed the door and walked back to the couch and handed the boys their share. "I don't know if you two realized, but we've been here almost all day. It's 9:30, and Danny is exhausted. I think we can all agree that we should sleep here tonight and make our way back in the morning. We've still got graduation to go to." She noticed Danny shift uncomfortably at the mention of graduation. "You ok Danny?"

The halfa grimaced and lowered his head. "I don't think me going to graduation is such a good idea. Now that my par...now that Jack and Maddie know who and what I am, it'd be a dumb idea if I just showed up like nothing happened." Tucker and Sam's faces grew grim as they realized the logic behind his words. Jack and Maddie would most likely have set up ghost shields and would be patrolling the event.

Sam laid down next to Tucker and pulled him down next to her. "You've got a point. Maybe we can figure something out. For now, let's all just get some sleep and we can figure things out in the morning. Danny, would you mind lighting the fire?" He nodded and pointed a finger at the fireplace, shooting a ball of ectoplasmic fire. The fireplace roared to life, glowing a bright green and casting shadows around the room. Tucker wrapped his arm around Sam's waist and pulled her close. Danny curled up and the three watched the flames until sleep eventually overtook them.

* * *

 **So, what'd ya'll think of Danny's new home? Pretty cool right? I know the color scheme is repetitive but honestly, what else would you expect? So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The process was all my own opinion and idea of how a ghost forms his/hers/its lair. This is in no way canon but it's still a pretty logical idea.**

 **So I think next chapter I'm gonna somehow bring in Dani or Ember without making it seem forced. I'm gonna let you lovely readers vote on who you want in the next chapter. Comment Dani, or Ember before wednesday the 22nd. Goodnight my beautiful readers!**


	8. Ch 8: Phantoms Reunited

**Let me start by saying how sorry I am to have not updated in so long. With classes coming to an end soon and Thanksgiving and my work schedule I have been an overworked mess. Breathe, Prince, breathe. Ok, so now, I hope you all can forgive me.**

 **So the votes have been tallied and, lemme tell you, it was a very close tie. However Dani came out just one vote ahead of Ember.**

 **XXX**

Danielle Phantom flew as fast as she could towards Amity Parks city limits, her mind racing in overdrive. She couldn't believe it; after finding out that Vlad Masters/Plasmius had gone into exile, almost half a decade ago, she had taken the liberty of combing through as much of Plasmius' files as she possibly could. Dani had found out more about herself than she had anticipated. So, after months upon months of flying around the country and infiltrating various DALV Co. owned companies she had finally found a set of files; files that explained, in detail, who and what she is...who she _really_ is.

A plethora of emotions bombarded her as the 'Welcome to Amity Park' city limit sign came into view; excitement, fear, confusion, and hope. Her stomach tightened in nervousness as she thought about what she planned to do when she finally ran into Danny. Seeing the familiar cityscape growing closer she increased her speed and shot off in a monochromatic blur towards her family. Towards her daddy.

 **XXX**

Danny woke with a start at the sound of Tucker's booming snore reverberating around the two-toned living room. He panicked for a moment, not recognizing the surroundings of his new lair through the haze of sleep. The, now raven-haired, boy sighed and ran his hands down his face before rubbing the sand from his eyes. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Danny glanced over at Sam and Tucker. The two lay side by side on the huge couch, hands loosely clasped. He smiled, thinking about how happy his friends were together and couldn't help feeling happy himself. The halfa stood and stretched before digging into his pants pocket to retrieve his phone. Noting that it was only 6 am, Danny decided to walk around the lair and really examine his handiwork. Being driven to the point of falling over in exhaustion, he hadn't really been able to take-in and appreciate what Sam and Tucker had tried to show him last night.

Danny started his tour in the kitchen. Opening cabinets and looking in the fridge, he found unexpectedly stocked with food and drink. He made a mental note to himself to make breakfast after he finished looking around. After he finished in the kitchen, Danny slowly made his way to the spiral staircase and up to the hallway of the second floor. He trekked down the hall, peering into each of the guestrooms for a moment or two, admiring how the color scheme he had chosen went well together and matched his secret identity, before he came to the master suite. When he had pictured the room in his head, he knew it would be large and cool, but he hadn't anticipated just how much of an understatement that would be. The room was easily the size of the living room. The space being occupied by the huge king-size bed that sat against the wall to the left of the door, a very large black mahogany desk and high-backed desk chair that dominated the wall just across from the bed, and a sort of small zen garden that sat dead center in the middle of the room. Looking up, he noticed a skylight that allowed one to relax on the small patch of grass and gaze up at the ominous, yet strange beauty of the Ghost Zone. Danny allowed a small, sad smile as he thought about the days and events that led up to this. Two days ago he had had a home and a family that loved him...or so he thought. When the truth came out, he was cast out and rejected. Despite this, in less than forty-eight hours he had a new home and the unwavering trust and loyalty of his friends.

Venturing a little further into his room, Danny noticed a ladder set into the wall, behind his desk, that led to a trapdoor in the ceiling. _Strange, I don't remember picturing_ that _in my head._ Wrapping his hands around the rungs, he climbed to the top and swung open the heavy wooden door. Danny poked his head out and marveled at what he saw; the door had led to the roof and allowed the observer to gaze out at the island in all its glory in all directions. Scrambling out of the hole, Danny walked to the edge of the roof and took in the view of the crystalline lake and the roaring waterfall.

Lost in his thoughts, the young halfa didn't notice the large, shimmering skull that had appeared behind him. The floating skull began to swirl and open wide to reveal Death. The scythe wielding specter stood quietly behind Danny for a moment, and admired what he could see of the young halfa's lair. "Pretty impressive for a half-lifer." Danny jumped in surprise and spun around, his hands glowing with ecto-energy.

"Grim! Dammit, you scared me half to death!" The energy faded as the boy relaxed.

The Reaper gave the smirking halfa a flat look. "If only."

"It's good to see you again. What's it been? Two, three months?"

"Three months and four days if you ask the old man. Clockwork told me that you had asked him about finally building your lair. Nice work by the way." Death gave him an approving look while idly swinging his scythe.

Danny grinned and turned back to gaze out at the glowing island laid out before him. "I didn't think a place like this could exist in the Zone. I mean there's Skulker's jungle lair, but the beauty of this place is almost unnatural."

"For the Ghost Zone it is _unnatural_." The Reaper stood next to Danny and took a moment to absorb the scenery. The raven haired boy glanced up at Death curiously. "All the lairs you've seen have been the lairs of full ghosts. You being half-ghost and half-human, your lair generated to represent you in some way. The nature here represents the human side of you, while the natural ecto-energy of the Zone gives it the ghostly glow."

Danny was speechless, Death made it sound like the Ghost Zone was practically alive. The idea that the GZ was able to generate a lair that suited him biologically was incomprehensible. The Reaper interrupted the halfa's thoughts, "this will be a good place to one day raise a family of your own." He laughed at the dumbfounded expression on his young friends face. "Oh c'mon, you can't tell me you haven't thought about a couple of Phantom brats running around this huge house?"

Danny blushed. "That thought may have uh, crossed my mind once or twice." He sighed and leaned against the roof railing. "Though, if I'm being honest, I think I've already go that covered. Well, kind of."

"Kind of?"

"You remember Plasmius don't you? Well he made an attempt to clone me a few years ago. Several of his experiments failed miserably at first. He eventually succeeded, sort of. Plasmius created a girl who had a destabilization problem. Her name is Danielle, and for the longest time I thought of her as my third cousin; that's how she introduced herself anyway. Anyways, she left to see the world after I helped restabilize her and I haven't seen her since." Danny grew silent, and Death could see a look of longing in the boys eyes.

"What is she to you now?" The Reaper questioned gently, not wanting to upset the boy.

Danny inhaled deeply and let out a slow breath. "I feel like she's more than just a clone. The idea that she's been out there by herself, traveling around the world all alone...it worries me. And not like a cousin or a brother, but how I imagine a parent might miss their child." Death placed a boney hand on the halfa's shoulder in understanding.

Danny sighed, breaking the silence. "Thanks for stopping by, Grim. I know I have my friends, but sometimes I need to talk to someone wise like you or Clockwork. I hate to say goodbye, but my friends have graduation today and I know if I don't wake them they'll sleep the day away."

Death nodded giving a small chuckle and shook Danny's hand. "Take care, Phantom. I'll try to visit more often. Maybe hijack one of those comfortable looking guest rooms next time." With that, the Reaper swung his scythe and opened a swirling portal. After another goodbye, he stepped through and the swirling portal disappeared. Danny took one last look out at his island before making his way to the trap door to wake his friends.

XXX

The day was hot and stifling in their graduation gowns. Tucker groaned as the sun beat down on him, while Sam merely smirked at her boyfriend's discomfort. "Seriously, Sam, how can you stand this heat?"

A disembodied voice spoke quietly next to the couple, "remember, Tuck, goths don't sweat. They simmer."

Sam grinned. "Thank you, Danny." Tucker rolled his eyes and started grumbling to himself.

"Richard Fawkes!"

The three watched as Mr. Lancer called the names of their classmates and the students making their ways across the stage.

"Daniel Fenton!"

Sam and Tucker could almost feel Danny tense up when Lancer called his name.

Lancer looked up from his list of names and scanned the crowd. The Fenton boy was nowhere to be seen. This bothered him, he knew how excited the boy was to finally finish high school and walk across that stage. While Daniel would constantly leave in the middle of class and not return until near the end of the lesson the boy always made sure to try his hardest and take any and all the notes he could to pass his classes. The fact that the boy wasn't present for the graduation ceremony worried the bald man. Lancer turned to Mr. Hartman, the teacher who saw to handing the passing students their diplomas, and whispered. "Have you seen Daniel Fenton today?" Hartman shook his head and frowned, turning to scan the crowd as well.

The crowd and the throng of students began to murmur quietly, and before Lancer could turn back to the podium the hulking figure of Jack Fenton appeared next to the stage and motioned to the balding teacher. Lancer glanced at Hartman before making his way towards the orange-suited ghost hunter.

"Mr Lancer, I'm sorry, Danny wasn't feeling well and isn't going to be able to make it today." Jack informed Lancer quietly, which was strange for the normally exuberant ghost hunter. The balding teacher raised a brow curiously before nodding acceptance and walked back to the podium.

"It would appear that Mr. Fenton is ill and will not be in attendance for this ceremony. His diploma will be handed off to either Jack or Maddie Fenton so that he may receive it at a later time. So, moving on; Tucker Foley."

Sam and Tucker could feel their anger growing. Jack and Maddie had the audacity to claim Danny was too sick to attend graduation, and this made the couple's blood boil. Tucker made his way to the stage and shook hands with Lancer and Mr. Hartman before grabbing the scroll that was his diploma and smiled half-heartedly as the photographer took his picture. The techno-geek walked across the stage, down the steps and back to where Sam stood, stewing silently.

"Those heartless bastards." Sam growled, shooting a glare in the direction of the jump-suited ghost hunters. Tucker wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head.

"Reel it in babe. Try not to let them get to you. How are you holdin' up Danny...Danny?" The couple looked around in concern and confusion when they noticed the absence of their ghost-fighting friends cold aura. Tucker muttered as he looked around with worry. "Dammit Danny, where are you?"

XXX

Danny was almost cracking the sound barrier as he flew, fighting the angry tears that threatened to fall. _Those bastards! How could I have ever called them my parents?!_ He flew absentmindedly, with no real direction or idea of where he was going. _To hell with them, I won't shed a tear because of them ever again._

The young halfa was so deep in his thoughts he didn't notice the black and white streak hurtling towards him until it slammed into his chest, knocking the wind out him, and threw its small arms around his neck. "DANNY!"

Danny gasped as he tried to catch his breath and looked down to see what- _who_ \- ran into him. Noticing the shock of long white hair pulled into a ponytail and the familiar half-black, half-silver jumpsuit, his heart jumped and all his anger was immediately washed away. "D-Danielle?"

The younger Phantom pulled back from her tight embrace and looked up at Danny, smiling wide. "Hi Danny." The older Phantom stared at her, disbelief written on his face, before he put a hand on the back of her head and held her close to his chest in a crushing hug. Danielle's heart quickened and that small feeling of hope began to grow stronger.

Danny finally released Dani and held her by the shoulders and looked the young Phantom over. Danielle looked strangely much the same as she did four years ago. Though her hair seemed longer, she was still the size of your average twelve year old girl. As Danny examined her, he noticed patches of dirt on her suit and skin as well as bits of leaves and twigs sticking from her snowy white strands, and that she looked skinnier than the last time he saw her. Finally he met Danielle's neon green eyes and felt his heart twinge in pain; though she was smiling and her face full of excitement, her eyes showed just how exhausted she was.

"Danielle, I've missed you so much. Are you ok? Have you been eating? Why do you look like you've been sleeping in a tree?" Danny stopped when he heard the younger halfa start to laugh.

"Danny slow down! I'm fine, really I am." Danielle paused and noticed that Danny's eyes were red and traces of tear tracks stained his cheeks. She was shocked, Danny never cried. He was always strong and brave, never letting that bully Dash's words get to him or even the countless ghosts that despised him. Whatever made him cry must've been too much, even for him. "Forget about me, Danny, what happened?"

The older halfa sighed and wiped his eyes. "It's a long story." Danny noted Danielle's expectant gaze and breathed a reluctant sigh. "Look, why don't we go someplace we can talk. I know a place where we can get you cleaned up and get some food in you and then I'll explain everything. How's that sound?" He gave her a small smile and waited patiently for an answer.

Danielle searched his eyes for a moment before nodding her agreement. A look of curiosity crossed her face and she quirked her brow at him. "What's this 'place' you're talking about?"

Danny grinned at the younger phantom, took her hand, and started flying towards Fenton Works. "I'm taking you to Le Manoir Fantôme; The Phantom Mansion."

XXX

 **Whew, finally. Took me a week to get this chapter just right. I didn't have Danielle reveal the info she found in Vlad's private files yet but I probably will in the next chapter or two. I don't want it to be all "oh hey Danny, I've missed you. By the way I found out I'm basically a test-tube baby and I'm your daughter." I'll build up to it and draw it out a bit to give the reveal some depth. Anyway thank you all for being so patient with me while I was working on this chapter. Finals are coming up next week and I have to cram like hell so updates make take a few days to a week. By the way, did you guys catch my little homage to the show? First person who figures it out gets a cookie :p. I love you all, thank you my beautiful readers!**


	9. Ch 9: A Phantom Homecoming

**Okee-Dokee ladies and germs, her comes my version of the Danny/Dani reunion. We'll see some emotion, mostly from our favorite little halfa (isn't she just the cutest damn thing?). Hope you enjoy!**

 **XXX**

Danny and Danielle had just arrived at the roof of Fenton Works when the former stopped the younger Phantom. "Listen Dani, before we go in, I need you to be very quiet and stay invisible. Stay behind me and do what I do. There are ecto-sensors everywhere inside, but thankfully I know where to go and how to avoid them. So just do what I do, stay quiet, and follow me. Okay?"

"Umm, okay. Danny, what's going on?"

The older Phantom just shook his head and motioned for Dani to follow him. The pair went intangible and slowly floated through the roof into Danny's old room. Staying invisible, the pair made their way through the door and down the stairs to the entrance to the Lab. "Okay, the lab is unlocked but there's a lot of ecto-sensors, this is the part where you follow my every move." Danny looked to his younger counterpart and, noting her nod of understanding, grabbed her hand and began a slow and steady trek down the metal steps. Reaching the floor of the basement lab Danielle started to get a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, noticing the huge number of green glowing dots scattered throughout the lab didn't help either. She forced herself to calm down, Danny was here and he would make sure nothing happened to either of them.

As the two Phantoms approached the closed doors of the Ghost Portal, Danny released Danielle's hand and moved to the control switch for the portal. The hiss of hydraulics signalled the activation of the portal and the doors cracked open to reveal the swirling green of the Ghost Portal. The older Phantom floated over to Dani and smiled before offering his hand. "Ready?"

Danielle grinned and took his hand. "Please, I was made ready." The two halfas turned and flew through the portal together.

XXX

"Are we there yet?"

"No, not yet."

"...are we there now?"

"Again, no. Not yet."

"...how about now?"

"For the twentieth time, not yet." Danny sighed in exasperation as the younger Phantom continued to pester and whine.

Danielle sighed as well, she didn't mean to be a pest, but she was tired, bored, and not to mention very hungry. She had flown for nearly three days straight, before literally running into Danny. It was a miracle she hadn't yet dropped from exhaustion and reverted back to her human form.

The little halfa opened her mouth to ask again, but was cut short when she spotted a large island in the distance. As they drew closer, Dani could see the glowing trees and grass and the large rolling hills and the small lake in the center with a tall waterfall. It was next to this beautiful body of water that she spotted the largest and grandest house she had ever seen. The house was only two stories but was easily the length of half a football field and just as wide. A perfect mixture of black stone blocks and white pillar-like stone columns decorated the exterior of the mansion. The front door was a heavy black-stained wood with an inverted DP logo burned into it.

Dani's eyes shone with amazement and wonder at the site before her. "Danny...what is this place?"

The older Phantom smiled in amusement at the girls awed expression. "This is my home."

The little halfa looked up at him with her eyebrow raised questioningly. Danny just smiled and grabbed her hand, and dragged her to the door. "Go ahead, women and ghost girls first." Dani grabbed the door handle and pushed; the heavy wooden door groaned open slowly before the two Phantoms walked in.

Dani had to almost pick her jaw off the floor; the outside of the mansion paled in comparison to the interior of the house. The mixture of green and black and white blended perfectly and gave her a sense of something she had never had or ever really known; home.

Danny stood back with his arms crossed and watched as Danielle walked around the living room and kitchen areas. He had kept an eye on her reaction as they walked through the door and had noticed that her shoulders seemed to have released a built up tension that he had failed to notice before. Danielle seemed to visibly relax the moment she had crossed the threshold, and it became more apparent, to the older halfa, just how exhausted the young girl was. He could see dark shadows under her eyes and he could tell she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Danielle, why don't I show you the bedrooms and you can pick which one you want?"

Dani turned from examining the carvings on the fireplace and gave Danny a tired smile, nodding in agreement.

The little halfa followed Danny up a spiral set of steps into a long hallway with several closed doors. The pair would stop at each door and Danny would let her explore the room before moving on to the next and repeating the process. He explained to her that each room was similar in size and design, but that he would be able to change or add anything to whichever room she chose. Dani decided on the room closest to Danny's room, willed herself to transform into her human form and flopped down on the bed. Her eyes closed and she passed out the moment her head hit the pillow.

Danny had watched her from the doorway and made his way to the bed. He smiled and ran his hand through her hair, taking solace in the relaxed look on Danielle's sleeping face, before pulling the blanket up to her chin.

Danny watched as the young halfa snuggled into the blankets. "You won't have to worry about being alone ever again, Dani. You're safe now, in our new home. I'll make sure nothing ever happens to you." He vowed quietly, before exiting the room and closing the door.

XXX

"I hope Danny's okay." Sam muttered worriedly as she piloted the Specter Speeder towards the island lair.

"You know how Danny is; he'll sulk and brood for a while, then we swoop in and do what we can to distract him from his funk." replied Tucker in assurance, tapping away at his PDA. Sam nodded distractedly as she guided the Speeder towards the mansion and landed near the front door. The couple exited the Speeder and walked to the front door, knocking once before entering.

"Yo! Danny! You in here?" The techno-geek called out loudly.

Danny floated down through the ceiling and fixed Tucker with a warning glare. "Shhh! Danielle's sleeping."

Sam's eyes widened in surprise and a smile crept on her face. "Danielle's here?" The goth girl had only met the younger Phantom a few times but the two took to each other like sisters and got along greatly. Tucker grinned at his girlfriend's reaction, he knew how close the two girls were and was happy Sam had someone she could consider a sister.

Danny smiled softly and nodded. "She ran into me, literally, as I was leaving the ceremony. She must have been exhausted because she passed out just after we got here." Sam smiled inwardly at the evident tone of worry in his voice.

Tucker spoke first, his voice full of concern. "How long has she been out?"

"A couple hours. She was out like a light, I have no idea how she even made the flight here." Danny motioned them to follow him, and the three made their way to the second floor towards, what the couple assumed, was Dani's new room.

Sam and Tucker grinned in amusement when they saw the sleeping little halfa; half the duvet was thrown off of her, one leg sticking out and her arms straight out to the sides, all the while they could hear soft snores coming from the girl.

Sam was the first to speak, keeping her voice low so as not to wake up the sleeping girl. "She looks almost the same as she did when we first saw her. I mean, physically, she should look like she's sixteen...right?" Danny shrugged, he had been wondering the same but just figured she would be a late bloomer like himself. The two looked at Tucker expectantly, knowing that he was, essentially, the R&D of team Phantom.

The techno-geek walked to the bed with his PDA in hand. Tapping a couple of commands he took a quick scan of the girl. He walked back to his friends and read through the results for a minute, muttering to himself before he revealed what the scan read. "From what I can tell she's perfectly healthy. Stability is at one-hundred percent, hormonal balance is normal...hmm...there seems to be some kind of irregularity in her structural composition. I can't figure out what it is, even with the ecto-tech I got from Technus' old suit, my PDA just isn't able to perform deep scans like that." Tucker looked up at them apologetically.

Danny looked at Danielle while he processed what Tucker told them. An idea struck him; there was only one person-er ghost really-that would be able to perform a scan like that. "What if we took her to the Far Frozen? Maybe Frostbite can figure out what's going on."

"Couldn't hurt to try. With their tech they'd easily be able to figure out the irregularity and, if possible, might be able to fix it." Tucker concluded, leaning back against the doorframe.

"Alright, then it's settled. We'll take her later this week. For now, I want her to rest and then she needs to eat and get cleaned up. She looks like she hasn't eaten in days." Sam and Tuck exchanged a glance; was it just them, or did Danny sound like a concerned parent?

XXX

Danielle rolled over and when she heard a door open and close, waking slowly from her sleep. Cracking one eye open she saw Danny sit down in a chair positioned near her bed. Her heart soared as a thought entered her mind, _did he watch over me while I was asleep?_ A small smiled graced her lips and she felt an unfamiliar warmth envelope her. _Maybe he won't turn me away when I tell him._

"You know, you can't pretend to sleep forever." Danny's deep voice made her jump in surprise. Dani opened her eyes and saw him giving her a knowing smirk.

Dani sat up and stretched out her sore arms with a groan. "How long was I out?"

"About twelve hours."

"What!?" The little halfa exclaimed. She knew she was exhausted, but she'd never slept more than four or five hours while she was...on her own.

"Yup, so you better get up, it's almost time for lunch." Danny stood up and started towards the door. "The bathroom is right over there. Why don't you shower while we get lunch ready and then we can eat."

"Okay." Dani responded, as the older halfa left and closed the door, slightly dazed. First she slept all night and half the day away, now she was about to get a warm shower and food? After four years of scrounging for food and taking baths in any rivers or creeks she could find, it was a shock that she could just wake up fully rested, take a hot shower and have food waiting for her. She shook herself out of her stupor and got out of the bed and made her way to the other door in her room. Opening the door she was once again shocked at the contents of the bathroom; a waterfall shower, marble sink, and several different kinds of toiletries. Dani grinned as she grabbed a towel off a shelf next to the shower. "I could get used to this."

XXX

After Dani had washed her hair out and toweled off, she attempted to brush out and detangle her long mess of raven hair. After fifteen minutes of tugging the brush through her hair she gave a huff of frustration and tossed it down on the sink counter before wrapping the towel around her and walking back into her room. Just as she wondered where her clothes had gone she spotted a pair of black cargo shorts, a black and white t-shirt with an inverted DP logo, her blue sweatshirt and red beanie, both freshly washed and clean. Dani smiled, the warm feeling washing over her once again as she concluded that Danny must have given her the new clothes and washed her old ones.

Once the little halfa had dressed, she made her way down the hall and down the stairs towards the kitchen. Dani paused in the living room when she heard two familiar voices coming from the kitchen.

"Tucker, please don't cook that next to the veggie patties!"

"Oh c'mon Sam, it's not like the meat is gonna invade your fake-meat."

"You know how the smell of cooking meat makes me feel nauseous!"

Tucker groaned in defeat. "Fine, I'll move down to another burner and turn the vent-hood on."

Dani walked into the kitchen just as Sam thanked him and planted a kiss on Tucker's cheek. The little halfa made a face before she spoke. "Oh c'mon, there's children present!"

The couple jumped and spun around to face Dani. "Danielle!" They exclaimed in unison, their faces turning red in embarrassment.

The little Phantom just grinned before taking a seat at the kitchen island. "So...when the hell did you two get together?"

A deep, and menacingly smooth voice called warningly from the open doorway. "Language, young lady." Danielle spun in her seat and saw Danny with his arms crossed and a disapproving look on his face, an eyebrow raised. The little halfa blushed and mumbled an apology. Danny nodded in approval and made his way to the fridge, and pulled out a platter of sandwiches, a glass of milk, and a couple of apples. Closing the door he made his way to the island and placed the food in front of Danielle. "I wasn't sure what kind've sandwiches you like so I just made a few PB&J's and ham & cheese."

The little halfa smiled warmly at him, picked up a PB&J and started to dig in. The moment the first bite hit her stomach she realized just how hungry she really was. She all but inhaled two more sandwiches, moving on to the apples and occasionally taking sips of the milk. The three teenagers exchanged worried glances at the younger girls appetite. Just when _was_ the last time this girl had eaten...anything?

Danielle paused when she noticed everyone staring at her, a ham & cheese halfway to her mouth, and raised and eyebrow questioningly. "What?" Sam and Tucker turned back to the stoves and their cooking food. Danny however sat down on a stool across from her.

"Dani I want to talk to you about something."

The little halfa sat her sandwich down and looked up at him. "Sure, what about?"

"I know you wanted to travel around and see the world and I think that's great. Everyone should get the chance to travel and live their life to the fullest…"

Dani's heart sank, and she had a slightly panicked look in her eyes. Was he telling her to leave? He couldn't be turning her away like...like Vlad?

"But…" Danny paused, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted without upsetting the young girl. Danielle paused, seeing that he was struggling with his words. "I think that maybe it would be best if you found a place to call home. I was thinking...if you want to...you could stay here. With me." He held his breath, waiting for Dani to refuse and leave once again.

The little Phantom couldn't believe her ears. Danny wanted her to stay! Tears began to fill her eyes and, that warm feeling was back again and she all but flung herself over the island counter and threw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Danny froze for a second before wrapping his arms around the emotional little girl. "Yes, please. I want to stay!" Danielle mumbled, tears running down her face and soaking into the older Phantom's shirt.

Sam and Tucker watched as the two halfa's hugged. Danny was stroking Danielle's hair and whispering to her, trying to calm the emotional girl and stem the flow of her tears. The techno-geek put his arm around Sam's shoulder as she leaned into her boyfriend, and the two smiled at the Phantoms. Sam had a peculiar thought niggling at the back of her mind; _if I didn't know any better, I'd think that the two of them are more like a father and daughter than cousins._ Shaking her head, she pushed that thought aside; it was better if the two figured this out on their own.

Tucker on the other hand, who got the same niggling thought, latched onto it and rolled it around in his head. It didn't sound completely crazy. Technically Danielle was created with Danny's DNA, and by definition a father was someone who treats with the protective care usually associated with a father and the source or originator of. So in a weird kinda way, Dani was technically Danny's daughter. Even if the two probably didn't realize it yet. As clueless as Danny usually was, it wouldn't really surprise the techno-geek if the older Phantom hadn't thought about it before. Maybe they will eventually; if not, Tucker would find a way to nudge Danny in the right direction. A brother has to have another brother's back. Plus Tucker always wanted to be an uncle, and having a halfa niece would be the icing on the cake.

XXX

 **By the Nine. I swear this chapter was surprisingly harder to pump out than I thought. I kept typing a little, leaving it for a couple days then coming back and typing again. It was such a pain. But I can honestly say I personally enjoyed typing this chapter. I love the father/daughter dynamic that other fics use for these two so I want to do one too. I know I strongly hinted at it, but these clueless halfas probably won't figure out their relationship for another chapter or two so don't hold your breath.**

 **I apologize for how long it took me to update. So much has been going on these past two weeks and I've been stressed the hell out. But you'll be glad to know I've finished this semester, so I'll have a lot more free time which means more updates. Yay!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll try and answer them in the next update. Thanks for reading, my beautiful readers!**


	10. Ch 10: To The Far Frozen

**Okee Dokee ladies and germs. Here come chapter 10. Let's explore this mysterious irregularity shall we?**

XXX

Dani woke to the smell of bacon cooking and the faint sound of Dumpty Humpty's new album. The little halfa smiled sleepily as she sat up and stretched. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Dani took a moment to take in the room... _her_ room. Danny stuck true to his word and manipulated the lair, more specifically her room, to just her liking. While the various band posters and DP paraphernalia had to be bought and hung up, the rest of the room was purely from Danny's control over the lair. At the end of the bed sat a large trunk adorned a large DP logo, which housed her most prized possessions, and allowed only her to open it. The wall to the left of the bed held several shelves, a large ebony dresser with white drawers, and next that sat a tall white armoire with black doors. Against the wall, where the door to her room was located, sat a medium-sized mahogany desk and chair with various art kits and a small desk lamp. Lastly, directly in front of the bed on the opposite wall was a spot for a rather large flat screen tv. Danny had told her he was working on a way to convince Technus to help them hook up entertainment systems throughout the mansion.

The little halfa's smile grew when she heard Danny calling up to her. "Danielle! I hope you're awake! You'd better get down here before Tucker eats everything!"

Before graduation, Sam and Tucker had decided they wanted to move out of their parents homes and try to make it in the world on their own. Danny had convinced them that, since they were welcome to his home anyway, they should move in to Phantom Mansion, and they agreed. The couple had taken the last two guest rooms, now their rooms, and had been living with them for just over a week since Danielle had ran into Danny.

Dani giggled before jumping out of bed and racing to her bathroom. After washing her face and running a brush through her hair she raced out of the room and down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen, Dani couldn't help the warm feeling as she took in the sight before her; Danny stood at one of the stoves prodding at frying bacon and sausages, while one of his duplicates was busy scrambling eggs. Tucker and Sam were seated at the kitchen island, chatting with smiles on their faces as they ate breakfast. They said good morning in that annoying way couples talk at the same time. This was what she had woken up to every morning for the past week; a hot meal, a full house, and something she never thought she'd have; a family.

The original Danny turned his head when the little halfa entered the kitchen and smiled. "Well good morning sleeping beauty. Breakfast is almost ready. Want me to get you something to drink?"

Dani smiled and shook her head as she walked to the fridge to get a glass of milk. "Nah, I got it. You look a little preoccupied anyway."

The older halfa just rolled his eyes with an amused smirk on his face before piling the food on plates and creating a second duplicate to set the plates on the island. Dani took a seat across from Sam and Tucker before grabbing one of the plates of food and started digging in. "So kiddo, I wanted to talk to you about something."

The little halfa looked up from her meal with a curious look on her face. "What about?"

Danny shot a nervous glance at Sam and Tuck, who had gone quiet and were now paying attention, before turning back to Dani. "Last week, when you passed out upstairs I got worried. I wanted to make sure that you were okay. So I had Tucker do a quick ecto-scan of you. Everything looked fine, but…"

"But?"

The older halfa looked at Tucker for help, to which he responded immediately. "When I took the scan I noticed there was a slight irregularity in your structural composition."

Dani stared at him with a blank expression before she replied in a flat voice. "English please?"

Sam shot her boyfriend a half-glare before answering the little half. "He means there was something different in your body structure. We don't know what it is so…"

"So, we want to ask you if we can take you to a friend who can do a deep scan and figure out what this irregularity is." Danny finished, taking a seat next to Danielle. "It's completely your choice, we're just worried and want to make sure this isn't something that may cause another...destabilization problem."

Dani was quiet for a moment as she tossed the idea around in her head. It was a pretty good idea and while she hadn't had a melting problem since Danny used the Ecto-Dejecto on her, it didn't mean it would last forever. Maybe they would be able to fix her, find out what this _thing_ is. Finally the little halfa nodded and looked at the trio. "Okay, let's do it."

Team Phantom grinned, making Dani smile in return, before they all turned back to their breakfast.

XXX

Unbeknownst to group, a hunter was watching them from the nearby forest using a set of advanced Intangibility Ecto-Binoculars which allowed him to see through walls.

The hunter grinned a wicked, mechanical grin. "So, the welp has a welpette now? Such a happy family." The hunter watched as the group started laughing. "Yes, make merry while you can, welp. Soon your head will be on my wall and your pelt on my floor."

"SKULKER!"

The mech-suited ghost sighed. _Great, just when I think I can get some hunting done._ Skulker turned around and was met with a terrifying sight; a fiery and angry Ember McLain stood with her arms crossed, flaming hair burning white hot whilst tapping a combat booted foot. "What do you want woman? Can't you see I'm in the middle of a hunt?"

The rocker ghost growled and her flaming hair grew higher and started turning red. "We had a date, you overgrown toaster!"

Skulker narrowed his eyes before turning back to observe his prey. "Our date can wait, woman. I have more important things on my plate."

The flames died down only slightly and Ember's eye began to twitch with anger. "What did you just say?" She asked in an eerily quiet voice. Skulker tensed when he realized just what he said.

"Did I say more important things? I meant higher priority." The robotic hunter offered pathetically, as he turned to face the rocker-chick. Ember's hair continued to shrink but, instead of turning to its usual blue, it continued to turn crimson red and seemed to pulse with her ghostly aura.

The ghost rocker reached behind her and swung her guitar around, a flaming pick appearing in her hand. "I have two things to say to you, you pathetic excuse of a hunter. One…" She pulled back her arm, only to slam her pick down on a chord emitting an enormous flaming red fist. The fist impacted Skulkers ecto-suit and sent him flying twenty feet into a large tree. The hunter groaned as Ember walked up and stood over him. "Two; we're through. For good. I don't ever want to see your ungrateful tin can, ever again." The rocker growled in a dangerous voice, before jumping on her guitar and flew away from the island.

Skulker sat up, groaning in pain, and watched as his now ex-girlfriend fly away. Scowling, the hunter grumbled to himself. "Great. Can this day get any worse?"

"You know, it's rather rude to trespass. Always make sure to ask permission before entering another person's home, Danielle."

"Don't worry, Danny. I know better than to do something that moronic."

Skulker froze and turned his head slowly, and came face to face with the two Phantoms. "Shit." A silver fist impacted the hunters face and sent him flying into another tree thirty feet away.

"First, trespassing on another ghosts lair, and now you are cursing in front of a child? Where are your manners." Danny flexed his hand a few times before grabbing the Fenton Thermos from Danielle's outstretched hand. "Thanks Dani."

Skulker leaned up slowly and looked down at his ecto-suit and groaned again. Circuitry and wires were hanging out of various cracks in his armor, and sparks were flying at the various joints. The left arm continuously twitched violently, and his optic sensors were going haywire. A shadow fell over the hunter, and he looked up through his damaged eye sockets to see Danny Phantom standing over him with that blasted thermos pointed right at him. "Nighty-night Tin-Man." The last Skulker saw was a flash of blue and everything went dark.

XXX

Later that day Team Phantom were out on the front lawn of Phantom Mansion preparing for their trip to the Far Frozen.

"Ecto-Converter?"

"Converter operating at one-hundred percent."

"Anti-Ghost shields?"

"Fully functional."

"Ecto-thrusters?"

"Primed and ready for ignition."

"Pizza-bagels?"

"Pizza- Tucker! Quit messing around!" Sam growled at her boyfriend. Danny and Danielle were floating outside the Specter Speeder, laughing at Tuckers antics.

The techno-geek grinned at his girlfriend as he started the engine. "Sorry babe, just trying to keep ya on your toes." Sam growled again and buckled into her seat.

"Alright guys, remember; we're on a mission to the Far Frozen to find out what's going on with Danielle. It'll take us a while to get there and there's gonna be quite a few lairs that we'll have to pass. Keep your eyes open, and the Ecto-Scanner running. Danielle and I will try to keep the baddies away, but have the weapons system charged and ready if things get spooky." Everyone nodded in understanding and took off in the direction of Frostbite's domain.

The group flew in silence for a while, watching the endless swirling of the Ghost Zone as they did so. Sam and Tucker had turned their Fenton Phones off and were talking as they followed the two Phantoms, who were also talking.

"So, have you noticed how different Danny has been acting lately?" Sam asked, her eyes trained on the two halfas flying ahead.

Tucker nodded. "I thought it was just me. What do you think it's all about?"

"I think...I think Danny see's Danielle as a daughter. But he's too afraid to tell her how he feels."

"Well can you really blame him? A week and a half ago his parents turned on him after finding out who he really is. He's probably terrified to tell her because he's afraid she'll reject him and disappear."

They flew in silence for a moment as the two of them processed the situation. Sam finally spoke up. "I think Danielle feels the same way about Danny, she just doesn't know how to tell him either."

"Really? I mean, I considered that as a possibility. I just thought she'd want to stick with the whole 'second cousin once removed' shtick."

"What we're dealing with is two introvert halfas who are too afraid of scaring the other off to show how they feel about each other. We need to find a way to get them to open up." Sam said, determination in her voice.

Tucker snorted. "Good luck with that. Those two are the most stubborn people in the GZ."

Sam chuckled at that. "Yes they are, but that goes to show how much alike they are. I know Danielle is technically a clone, but she's more of a daughter to Danny than anything else. I just hope we can help them figure it out."

Tucker reached over and took Sam's hand. "If anyone can get those two to open their eyes, it's you." The goth girl smiled and gave him a quick kiss. The couple love their halfas like family, and they will try their hardest to get them to see what's right in front of them. Little did they know, this trip was about to help that plan along more quickly than they realize.

XXX

After nearly two hours of avoiding purple doors and island lairs, Team Phantom finally spotted the floating island of the Far Frozen. The island was huge, nearly twice the size of Phantom Island, and covered in snow and ice. Already Danny could see a number of the Frozen yetis as well as a tall, even for the yetis, wolfish figure with an icy arm and a huge grin waiting to greet them.

"Ah! Great One! Welcome once again to the Far Frozen!" Frostbite exclaimed cheerfully as the group landed in the icy clearing.

Dani smirked and shot Danny a curious look. "Great One?"

The older Phantom smiled at his frozen friend and murmured through clenched teeth. "Shut it, pipsqueak. Frostbite, it's good to see you."

"Likewise, Great One! To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

Danny put his hands on Danielle's shoulders and motioned to her before he explained the situation. He told his frozen friend about the little halfas origin, leaving out the darker details, and explained the irregularity that Tuckers scan had found in her system. "So we came to ask if your equipment would be able to perform a deeper scan and find out what it is exactly and whether or not it will be harmful to her somewhere down the road."

"We would be honored to do so, Great One," Frostbite said as he approached Dani and knelt down to her height. "Hello little one, what is your name?"

"Danielle, or Dani with and 'I'." The little halfa replied shyly, slightly intimidated by the icy ghosts size.

Frostbite smiled warmly and glanced up at Danny. "I see. Great One, would I be correct in assuming you decided to name your young one after yourself?"

Sam and Tucker snickered at Danny's shocked expression and his reddening face. The older Phantom spluttered as he tried to explain. "She's not...we aren't...I mean…"

The ghost yeti chuckled warmly and waved an icy arm in dismissal. "Relax, Great One. No need to explain. Come, friends of the Far Frozen, I shall take you to our medical facility." Sam, Tucker, and the blushing Phantoms followed the great ice yeti through the frozen village to a cave tucked away at the bottom of a tall ice wall.

The group entered the icy cave and gaped at the what they saw. Along the walls sat various terminals and intricate looking machines. At the back of the cave sat four stasis tanks, not unlike the one Danny woke up in when he discovered his ice powers. Tucker was practically drooling at the ghost-tech that surrounded them.

Frostbite led Team Phantom to a large table that slightly resembled an MRI machine, with a large monitor that would give readouts and show a representation of whoever was being scanned. "This is our Deep-Cell Ecto-Scanner. When one of our warriors came here with a very strange illness we had this built so that we may identify it. With a few alterations and some help from your Technical Wizard, we will be able to perform a deep-cell scan on the Little One." No sooner than the ice yeti had finished speaking, Tucker had his PDA hooked up to the computer bank connected to the machine.

After a few minutes of tapping and 'hmm-ing', the techno-geek turned to his friends with a huge grin. "It'll work. The alterations may take an hour or two but it'll do the job."

Danny breathed a sigh of relief and smiled down at a nervous looking Danielle. The little halfa caught him smiling at her and she immediately felt her nerves begin to settle. If Danny wasn't nervous, then she would be brave and not let herself feel scared. She was a Phantom, and Phantoms never show fear.

XXX

 **Oooh boy, I wonder what's going on with Danielle? If you're worried, it's nothing fatal but it will be life-changing for the two Phantoms. So I have laid the groundwork for Ember** **into the story but I think at the rate I'm going I won't have her come in again for another chapter or two. I know, I know. I said that a few chapters ago but I feel like I'm on a roll here, and I want to finish Dani and Danny's story before I start on the Ember and Danny story. Then I can start on the Ghost King aspect of it. But hey, this just means more chapters, more updates, and more of everyones favorite Phantom family.**

 **Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far and please don't forget to review and let me know what you think. And by the way, I've got another idea for another DP story in the works. It's gonna be really cool but I want to finish this story or at least most of it before I start on another. I'm still trying to finish Laughter is The Best Medicine. So at this rate I won't be done for a long while.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. Thanks for everything, my beautiful readers!**


	11. Ch 11: Mid-Morph

**Oh boy oh boy here it comes. I was so excited to start this chapter that I began typing it right after I posted chapter 10. I have a really good feeling about this chapter and I hope you all enjoy it too.**

 **In response to 'brother of kane', I will be introducing a donor mother for Danielle, I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to go about introducing this. I did some research on the DP wiki page about Danielles origin and, while it makes sense, I prefer the Danny/Dani Father/Daughter idea. So yes, there will be a mother but I'm not sure of who I want as the donor mother. Ah well, I'm sure I'll figure it out.**

 **Thank you all for your positive reviews. I appreciate it :). Enjoy!**

 **XXX**

True to Tuckers word, Team Phantom only had to wait just a little over an hour before the Deep-Cellular Ecto-Scanner was modified and ready to go. Sam, Tucker, Danny and Danielle stood gathered around the scanner while Frostbite started up the machine and running diagnostics.

"Alright, Little One, the Scanner is running efficiently. What we are going to do, is perform an ecto-scan on your body that can allow us to take readings of your structure down to a microscopic level. Allowing us to examine your cellular composition as a whole and pick out this irregularity." Frostbite informed the little halfa, pausing to make sure she followed him so far, before continuing. "First we will perform the scan with you in your human form, then again in your ghost form. Each scan will take only a few minutes, but it may be another hour before we get the results. Are we ready?"

Danielle gave Danny a nervous look as she stepped up to the machine. The older Phantom placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be alright Dani, it won't hurt one bit." Danny shot Frostbite a hard look. "Right?"

The ice yeti felt a chill run down his spine at the icy look on his Great One's face, a true feat for an ice based ghost. "Of course, Great One. It will be completely harmless. I swear it." Danny nodded in acceptance and helped Danielle lie down on the table. Frostbite started up the machine. "Beginning Deep-Cell Scan." The large donut shaped mechanism began to whir slowly as the magnet inside of it began to slowly spin and pick up speed. Once the magnet reached a steady speed, it began a slow trek down the table and over the little halfas body.

Tucker stood next to the monitor, recording the data in his PDA and nodding positively with the information being displayed. "Everything looks good so far from what I can tell. Hey, Frostbite, what exactly does this mean…?"

Danny watched Danielle with a worried expression as she tried to stay completely still as the scan continued. He could hear Tucker and Frostbite talking but all of his attention was on the little girl with the nervous look on her face. He swore the last time Danielle flew away to see the world that if she ever came back, he would do anything and everything to keep her safe. Danny felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Sam giving him a comforting smile.

"Relax, Danny, she's going to be okay. She's strong, not to mention, she's a Phantom; which means she too stubborn to have anything wrong with her."

Danny smirked and turned back to the little halfa. "I know, and that's what I'm afraid of. You remember how I was as a kid? She's going to be just as bad." Sam chuckled and turned to watch the examination.

After both scans were complete, Frostbite invited them all to a small feast while they wait for the scan results. Team Phantom was ushered into a large lean-to with a long log table, piled high with all kinds of meats, fruits, vegetables, and various pitchers of juices and smoothies. The ice yeti let them all take their seats, Frostbite at the head of the table, Danny to his right with Danielle, and Sam and Tucker on his left, before sweeping his arms over the feast. "Please, dig in!"

They all chatted as they piled their plates and filled their goblets. Sam and Tucker were playfully bickering over one anothers choice of food, while Danny talked to the ice yeti. "So, Frostbite, how are things in the Zone? I've noticed a decrease in ghost attacks in the past couple weeks."

"Things have been strangely quiet as of late. Princess Dora has had her armies scouting the Ghost Zone lately, as the lack of malevolent spirits has made her slightly nervous."

"Have you heard anything as to why that is?"

"Hmm, nothing substantial, but I have heard that the Masters of the Natural World had recently dismissed a great assembly within the Court of Observants. I am not sure of the nature of this gathering, but I would assume the lack of activity is a possible result of this dismissal."

"Who are the Observants and these Masters?"

Danny and Frostbite turned to Danielle as she spoke. "The Observants are an order of ghosts who keep an eye on the balance of the Ghost Zone and the human realm, kind've like the United Nations." The older halfa explained as he cut into a steak.

"And the Masters?"

Danny grinned, he liked the masters, as he was good friends with most of them. "The Masters are ghosts who have control over specific aspects of the natural world; there's the Grim Reaper, Clockwork, Master of Time, Terra or Mother Nature, Mistress of Life, and Theodon, The Mistress of Reality. Together they form the Masters of the Natural World."

Danielle looked at Danny with awe. "How do you know all this?"

The older Phantom had a smug grin on his face as he answered. "Because I'm good friends with all of them."

"Shut. Up."

Danny and Frostbite chuckled at the little halfas shocked expression. "It's true, Little One." The ice yeti confirmed. "I was there the day the Masters gathered to meet the Savior of the Ghost Zone."

"I don't know about 'Savior'..." Danny mumbled into his goblet.

"Nonsense, Great One!" Frostbite exclaimed heartily. He thumped the older Phantom on the back with a massive, icy arm causing him to choke on his drink. "After the numerous foes you have faced and the times you have saved both our worlds, the title of savior is one that is justly deserved."

Danielle perked up at the mention of the enemies Danny had faced. "Who have you fought? I know there was Skulker and Vlad, and a few other baddies, but I never heard about the other 'big and bad'."

"Uh, let's save that for another time. If I 'regale my tales of triumph' as Frosty here to eloquently puts it, we'll be here for days." Danny admonished, smirking at Frostbites playful glare.

"Pleeeeaase, Danny?" Danielle whined, her eyes wide and her lower lip sticking out in a pout.

Danny's ice core practically melted, but he forced himself to stay strong against the little halfas pleading. "How about we wait until we get home? Then I'll tell you all about the fights I've won. Deal?"

The little halfa pouted, but nodded reluctantly. "Fine, but I'm holding you to that."

Danny laughed and tousled her hair. A Far Frozen medic lumbered into the room and approached Frostbite. After a few quiet words, the ice yeti thanked his brethren and rose from his seat. "I've been informed that the we have the scan results ready. If you all will follow me." With that, Team Phantom rose from their seats and followed the Frozen chieftain to the Medic Cave.

The group approached a large computer terminal that showed a number of diagnostics and numbers that Danny, Danielle, and Sam couldn't make heads or tails of. Frostbite and Tucker however were reading through the information and exchanging quiet words occasionally over the information.

"So? What's it say?" Danny asked anxiously, Danielle was holding his hand with a nervous expression.

Tucker and Frostbite exchanged a look of confusion before turning to the rest of the group. The ice yeti stepped forward. "Well, the scan the young Tech Wizard performed was correct in finding the Little One to be perfectly healthy. As for the irregularity...you said that young Danielle was a clone, correct?"

"That's right."

"By any chance, did she require your mid-morph DNA to aid in her stabilization process?"

"Well, Plasmius did try to get my mid-morph DNA to stabilize her. But I was able to stabilizer her using an injection my- Jack and Maddie Fenton deemed the 'ecto-dejecto'. It seemed to do the job and keep her stabil."

Frostbite turned back to the monitor and rubbed his chin. "Interesting. Well, the injection did in fact stabilize her, however it did not solve the full cloning process."

Confusion swept across Danny's face. "What do you mean? She isn't complete?"

"In a layman's terms, yes." The Frozen chieftain faced the older Phantom. "It would seem, to complete this process, the Little One will require your mid-morph DNA. However there may be some side-effects."

"What kind of 'side-effects'?" Danny asked worriedly, his hand tightening in Danielle's.

"Nothing that will be in any way harmful to her or her health." Frostbite assured, waving an icy arm dismissively. "There is a possibility of physical changes but we will not know for sure unless we perform the procedure."

The older halfa knelt down to Dani and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's up to you, kiddo."

"What if...what if I change? What if it does something to me and I end up looking like a freak or my powers get all messed up?" The little halfa looked down solemnly with tears in her eyes.

Danny tilted her chin up and looked Danielle in the eye. "I promise, that no matter what happens, I will never, _ever_ , turn you away or look at you differently. You will always be the same little ghost girl." Tears trailed down the little halfa's face as she threw her arms around his neck in a hug.

Sam and Tucker exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly. Frostbite smiled warmly at his Great One and his little girl. A strong and loyal family if he ever knew one. "If you wish, we can perform the procedure now, Great One?"

Danny pulled back and looked at Danielle questioningly. After a moment, the little halfa nodded. The older Phantom stood and turned to Frostbite. "Let's do it."

XXX

Once again, Danielle found herself lying on a metal table with Danny nearby on another table. She watched anxiously as Frostbite and a few of the Frozen medics began preparing the equipment. The little halfa felt a hand in hers and turned her head to see Danny giving her a reassuring smile. "It's gonna be ok, kiddo. In a few minutes, you'll be all fixed up." Danielle smiled and the older halfa gave her hand one more squeeze before letting go.

Frostbite approached Danny first, a large syringe looking device in his hands. "This is a modified ecto-extractor. We have altered it to be able to extract your mid-morph DNA. I apologize, Great One, this may be slightly painful." Danny willed his twin rings to appear and stopped their travel just below his chest and above his waist. The end of the extractor was placed just over his stomach, and the main mechanism of the machine began to whine as it powered up.

Danny grit his teeth as he felt an intense heat on his abdomen. A short needle shot out of the end of the extractor and the vial on top of the machine began to fill with ectoplasm, within the green you could see hints of red floating about. "The mid-morph shows a mixture of your ectoplasm with your red blood cells. This creates the red and green mixture you currently see." Frostbite explained before extracting the syringe.

The older Phantom sighed in relief as the heat subsided. The twin rings met back in the middle before disappearing, leaving him as Danny Fenton. The Frozen chieftain approached Danielle and laid his icy hand on her shoulder. "Now we shall inject the mid-morph DNA into you, Little One. I will ask you be in your ghost form so that the DNA will bond more quickly. I apologize for the slight pain you will feel, Little One."

"It's cool, Frostbite. Let's just get this over with, yeah?" Danielle said anxiously and willed herself to change into her Phantom form.

The ice yeti smiled before placing the extractor over her midriff and started the machine once again. Immediately Dani felt the intense heat and grit her teeth as the short needle pierced her abdomen. She watched through narrowed eyes as the ectoplasm-blood mixture slowly emptied from the vial. Slowly a pleasant chill began to spread from her midriff and outwards throughout her arms and legs before it began to fade.

Frostbite set down the extractor and helped the now exhausted Phantoms sit up. "The results will not be immediate, but after some rest we should see a change by the time the Little One wakes up."

Danny nodded in understanding. "Thanks, Frostbite." He walked over to Danielle, who's eyelids were getting heavy and was trying to remain upright, and picked her up. The little half curled against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck before falling asleep. "I'm going to get her home and into bed. I'll be sure to come back and let you know if anything changes."

"Very well, Great One. Do take care and feel free to visit soon."

Saying their goodbyes and waving to the Frozen warriors, Team Phantom boarded the Specter Speeder and took off towards Phantom Island.

XXX

The two halfas, Sam, and Tucker all arrived at Phantom Mansion an hour and half later. The group walked in the door, with Danny carrying the sleeping Danielle, exhaustion written on their faces.

Sam and Tucker made their way to the kitchen while Danny took the little halfa to her room. He pulled back the fluffy comforter and gently laid her down, before pulling the blanket up to her chin. Danny smiled when Danielle unconsciously buried herself into the warmth of the blanket. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispered good night, and made his way back down to the kitchen.

The older Phantom entered the kitchen and sat with his friends at the island. "How's she doing?" Sam asked tiredly.

Danny yawned before giving them a sleepy smile. "Still asleep. Poor kiddo went through a lot today, she deserves to sleep. Hell, I think we've all earned the right to sleep for the next three days straight." The trio chuckled quietly.

The older halfa turned to Tucker, who was rubbing his eyes. "Tucker, would you be able to set your PDA to monitor Danielle tonight? Just to keep track of anything that might change as she sleeps, and will alert us if anything bad happens?"

"Hmm? Yeah, sure thing Danny. I'll set it up before I head to my room."

"Thanks man." Tucker smiled and nodded. The older Phantom glanced at his wall clock (the time piece made a strange appearance a couple days after the Mansion was completed, Danny never thought about including a clock in his lair so he assumed it must be a housewarming gift from Clockwork. The clock was round and measured a foot tall and just as wide, the hands of the clock glowed a bright green over a white face all surrounded by a black metal frame.) and noted that it was midnight in the human realm. Standing slowly Danny turned to his friends. "I'm gonna knock out. You guys don't stay up too late, I want at least one of us to be awake by the time Danielle wakes up. You guys hear anything, come wake me. Good night."

"Night, Danny." The couple responded tiredly in unison. The older Phantom smirked in amusement before floating through the ceiling to his room. Willing himself to change into his human form, Danny landed face first on the bed and was asleep by the time his head hit the pillow.

XXX

"Danny."

"Maybe you should shake him a little."

"Daannnyy."

"Yo Danny! Wake up dude!"

"You'd think it would be easier to wake him up."

"Hmm...I got an idea. GHOST!"

Danny's eyes shot wide open and in the blink of an eye, Fenton became Phantom and was looking around the room with his hands glowing green.

"Dammit, Tucker! You know you shouldn't wake a ghost hunter like that." Danny calmed down when he heard Sam reprimanding her techno-geek boyfriend.

"Oh come on, Sam. It worked, didn't it?" Tucker grinned proudly with his arms crossed. The tech wizard turned to his half-ghost friend, who was shooting him an icy glare, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry dude."

Danny rolled his eyes and waved him off. "It's fine, Tuck. So, why'd you guys wake me up from an awesome dream involving...ahm...well...anyway. Whats up?"

Sam sighed in exasperation. "Damn it you two. Tucker quit distracting him. Danny, you should come down and eat...there's something... _someone_...you should see." Grabbing Tuckers arm, she led the older Phantom down the stairs and to the kitchen.

"Sam, what's so damn important that you-" Danny stopped and his eyes widened in shock when he saw who was sitting at the kitchen island, munching on a bowl of cereal. "D-Dani?!"

It was Danielle all right, but not the fourteen year old clone he had set on her bed just last night; this little halfa looked almost half her age. The little girl looked up from her breakfast and her face broke into the widest, most heart-melting smile anyone had ever seen on the little halfa. "Danny!" Danielle shot from her seat and wrapped her arms around the older Phantom's neck in a hug.

Bewildered, Danny reciprocated, and turned to Sam and Tucker, an expression of shock and confusion on his face. Tucker began to explain. "Frostbite mentioned that there might be some changes as result of the mid-morph injection. We just assumed it would be an increase in her powers or perhaps she would mature physically and appear fourteen instead of twelve. It looks like, instead of maturing, her body reverted to her actual age. Right now, I'd guess she's about six years old."

Danny's eyes went wide and he looked down at the little raven haired curl in his arms. Danielle pulled back too look up at him with a radiant smile. The older halfa couldn't resist and returned the smile. It was at that moment he felt a warmth start in his heart and spread throughout his body, and he swore to himself that he would raise this little halfa and protect her, not just because she was family, but because she was his little girl.

XXX

 **Well Mr. Runeion, you were correct in your estimation, Danielle was reverted to her actual age.**

 **I don't have much to talk about for this chapter other than little Danielle is about to be the most adorable little halfa in the Danny Phantom universe.**

 **Don't forget to review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	12. Ch 12: All Hail King Phantom

**Hiya! Mistah J here, presenting chapter 12 to you from beyond the grave. Just want to start out by saying I hope everyone had a happy holiday and that you got the gifts that you asked for, and I'd also like to wish you an early Happy New Year!**

 **So, it came to my attention recently that I never gave credit to the artist behind the image for this story. I'd like to apologize, as I did not know who the artist was initially. I will be editing chapter 1 to credit this artist.**

 **Enjoy!**

XXX

"Tech Wizard to Spooky, come in Spooky"

"Spooky? Who the heck came up with _that_ for a call sign?"

Tucker, a.k.a. Tech Wizard, chuckled into his Phantom Phones. "That would be the half-pint. Say 'hi' Danielle."

Danny couldn't help but grin when he heard his little halfa over the mic. "Hi Danny! When are you gon' be back?"

"Soon, kiddo. You mind Aunt Sam and Uncle Tucker and I'll be back before you know it."

"Okay, Uncle Tuck wants to talk to you. Bye Danny!"

"See ya, Kiddo." Danny flew while he waited for Tucker to return to the mic. "What's up, Tuck?"

"Just wanted an update on your position. Clockwork explain why he wanted to talk to you?"

Danny sighed. "Give you three guesses. You know how cryptic he is, always leaves you guessing."

Tucker laughed. "Yeah that sounds about right. I gotta go, almost time to run diagnostics on the ghost shields. You ever gonna tell me what you did to get Technus to install all this stuff?"

The older Phantom just smirked and replied smugly. "I _told_ you, we had a civil discussion and came to a mutually beneficial agreement."

"...Yeah I'm calling B.S. on that one." Tucker replied flatly. "Tech Wizard out."

A single beep through the Phantom Phones informed Danny that Tucker had disconnected. He continued to fly deeper into the Zone, eventually passing clusters of floating gears. Within a matter of minutes, he spotted Clockwork's Tower.

"Now, let's see what ol' Tick-Tock wants." Danny muttered to himself as he landed on the rock and started towards the door. His approach prompted the doors to groan open, and he walked towards the floating figure of the Time Master. "Clockwork."

The ancient ghost turned and smiled. "Ah, Daniel, I'm glad you could make it. Care for a seat? We have a lot to talk about." Clockwork waved his staff and a set of wooden chairs, a small coffee table and a plate of cookies and ecto-herbal tea appeared.

The two friends took a seat and helped themselves to the snacks. Danny turned to the Time Master. "So, are you gonna tell me what this is about?"

Clockwork's expression turned somber and the older Phantom got an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Daniel, do you remember your battle with Pariah Dark?"

Danny set down his mug and his expression mirrored the Time Masters. "How could I forget? I almost died...completely."

"I apologize for bringing that up, but your battle ties in with what I wanted to talk about." Clockwork took a deep breath before letting it out. "Daniel, many eons ago, the Ghost Zone and the human realm used to be one in the same. Ghosts and humans used to live in harmony with one another. For centuries we cooperated with each other, formed societies, and lived in close-knit communities. All was peaceful...until Pariah Dark.

"He was a relatively young ghost, born to the great King Akoni and Queen Damiana. Pariah was a troubled youth, he hated the humans and saw any who chose to work with them as beneath him. He was power hungry and gathered a rebellious army and orchestrated raids on the human villages. It was this way for many decades, ghost against human and, eventually, human against ghost.

"It got to the point where the humans were almost wiped out so a human shaman, with help from King Akoni, who was a powerful sorcerer, built a powerful container known as the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. After separating Pariah from the Ring of Rage and the Crown of Fire, Akoni and the human Shaman were able to imprison, Dark. After his son's imprisonment, King Akoni thought it best to separate the two realms. The King gave up his power and his life-force to complete the ritual that created the Ghost Zone."

Clockwork turned to Danny to gauge his reaction. The older Phantom's eyes were wide, he had never known the history behind the GZ, more ghosts spent their time trying to kill him than explain the origin of their world. The Time Master continued his speech. "After eons of imprisonment, he was released, and very nearly joined the two realms once again so that he might rule both worlds. However, there was one thing he hadn't counted on; a boy who was half-ghost and half-human. The second of his kind, but more powerful than any halfa or ghost in existence. Daniel, you were the first being, both human or ghost, to have ever faced the Mad King, in his own lair no less, and won. After Dark's defeat, the Observants called a Court Assembly. After four years, the Observants and the Masters of the Natural Order came to a decision; the next king of the Ghost Zone."

Confusion swept across Danny's face, before realization dawned on him. The older halfa jumped out of his seat. "Me?! I-I can't be a king! There has to be a mistake, Clockwork."

A look of sympathy crossed the ancient Master's face. "I'm sorry, Daniel, but the Observants have made their decision. As much as I despise those annoying, floating eyeballs, I believe this is a wise decision. You may be young, but you have become more of a leader and a liaison between humans and ghosts than any other in the history of the Ghost Zone." The Time Master had a proud glint in his eye and Danny couldn't help but feel his heart swell in appreciation. In some ways he saw the old ghost as something of a father figure.

"How long?" Danny asked, a burst of confidence overtaking him.

Clockwork gave a small smile. "Your eighteenth birthday. The preparations are being made, and the coronation will be the day of your birth."

"So, I have just over a week." The Time Master nodded. Danny sank back in his chair and let out a deep breath. "This is a lot to take in. If you'll excuse me, I need to head back to my lair and think about this." The older Phantom stood and bowed to his ancient friend.

"Of course, Daniel. I will inform you when we must prepare for the ceremony. For now, relax and try to focus on your family. I have heard from Frostbite that you have taken in Danielle. Is he correct in his assumptions that she is yours?" Clockwork smirked as Danny started to blush.

"She's not...well…" Danny sighed. "Honestly I'm not sure what she is. I was told she was a clone, and she used to say she was my cousin."

"And now?"

"Now...now I think she may be mine. I think she might be my daughter." Clockwork smirked and settled back in his chair. Danny narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you know, Tick-Tock?"

The Master chuckled heartily. "Tick-Tock eh? As for your question, all I can say is that only time will tell. That is all I can tell you for now. Farewell, your Highness." Smirking at the irony in his statement, the Master raised his staff and opened a portal to Phantom Mansion. The portal sucked Danny into it and closed before the halfa could protest.

Clockwork smirked mischievously and opened a viewing portal. The image showed Danny landing face first on the grass in front of the mansion. "All is as it should be."

XXX

Danny rolled over onto his back after the portal deposited him onto the grass. Spitting out a few blades, he glared at the spot where the portal had just disappeared. "Not cool, Tick-Tock."

The halfa sat up and prepared to stand before a small bundle with black hair slammed into him, knocking the wind out of him. "DANNY! You're back!" The older Phantom groaned and looked up to see Danielle smiling brightly up at him.

"Ugh, hey kiddo. Did you have fun with Aunt Sam and Uncle Tuck?" Danny asked, ruffling the little halfa's raven locks.

Danielle's smile grew and she nodded excitedly. "Yeah! Uncle Tuck let me help put the TVs up and Auntie Sam let me bake cookies with her!"

"Cookies huh? Remind me to talk to 'auntie Sam' about giving you sugar." Keeping a hold on the hyper little halfa, Danny got to his feet and walked into the Mansion and made his way to the living room. His conversation with Clockwork about his little halfa wormed its way back to the front of his mind, and before he knew it, he had set Dani on the couch and crouched down, so he was eye level, his face growing serious. "Listen, kiddo, I want to talk to you about something."

Danielle quieted down at Danny's serious tone and gave him a curious look. "About what?"

The older Phantom paused, and tried to think about how he was going to proceed. After a moment of deep thought, Danny looked the little halfa in the eye and took a deep breath. "Danielle, have you ever wanted a dad?"

Immediately, Danielle's face became somber. She looked down as she played with her hands, and spoke in quiet voice. "I always wanted a daddy. I thought Vlad was my daddy, but he just turned out to be a meanie."

"Danielle, what if...what if _I_ was your daddy?"

The little halfa's head shot up and her eyes shone with hope. "Y-you would be my...my daddy?"

Despite his assuredness, Danny started to feel an inkling of doubt. "Well, I mean...if you'd want me to be...I could-" he was cut off when the little halfa slammed into him once again and threw her arms around his neck.

"Please be my daddy. I wanted to tell you when I was a big girl, but I forgot. There's a flash drive I wanted to give you. It's from Vlad's lab." Danielle spoke quietly, happy tears trailing down her face. Danny kissed the top of her head and began to smooth her hair.

"Shh, baby girl. It's okay now." He ran his hands through her hair and slowly the flow of tears stopped, and the little raven-haired girl sniffed and smiled up at her new daddy. Danny smiled and kissed her forehead. "Now where's this flash drive? Maybe we can have Uncle Tuck take a look at it huh?"

"Okay, daddy! It's in my room. I'll go get it!" Danielle willed herself to her Phantom form and shot through the ceiling. Danny chuckled and made his way to the basement lab he had created for Tucker and himself a few days ago.

"Spooky to Techno-Dork, meet me in the lab and get the main computer booted up. Got some files I need you to check out." Danny called into his Phantom Phone.

After a few minutes the mildly annoyed baritone of Tucker's voice could be heard in the tiny speaker. "Seriously, Danny? Techno-Dork? It's not my fault the little half-pint gave you the call-sign 'Spooky'. Anyway, I'm already here. Main frame is booted and ready. What kind've files we got?"

Danny's voice grew dangerous. "A special treat from our old friend; DALV Co."

XXX

"Holy crap." Tucker muttered in awe. The files he had extracted from Dani's flash drive were chock full of informative and very incriminating data. From illegal business dealings to extensive details on almost every single ghost in the Ghost Zone, even the court of Observants. Thankfully no data existed on the elusive Masters.

"Tucker, watch your language in front of your niece." Sam chided, putting her hands over Danielle's ears. The techno-geek mumbled an apology in embarrassment.

Danny walked up to stand beside Tucker, his attention fixed on the screen. "What are we looking at, Tuck?"

"A better question would be; what are we _not_ looking at? There's decades and thousands of gigabytes of data stored in here. It's got info on every ghost we've ever fought; their obsessions, when they died, their powers, and methods of defeating them."

"What about files on Danielle? She said she brought this to give to me. I'd assume there would be something about her that she would want me to see _specifically_."

Tucker's hands danced across the keys with practice as he flipped through file after file, the info flashing on the screen, making Danny dizzy, but the techno-geek appeared to be fine with it. Stopping on a file marked **PROJECT: CLONING_SUBJECT: DANIELLE** , Tucker exclaimed in triumph. "Ah-hah! Here we go...well we now know for sure Danny is in fact Danielle's biological father...all the same powers...mid-morph DNA required for full maturation process...date of birth...donor parents are Daniel Phantom and...redacted? What the...?"

Danny cocked his brow as he read the screen himself. "Redacted? There's no note of a mother? How is that possible?"

The techno-geek shook his head and continued to try and crack the file. "Command override Epsilon, Omega, Theta...confirmation code Two Beta Kilo...and we're cracked...aaaand...nothing." Tucker shook his head in defeat. "I'm sorry, Danny. There's just no record of a mother that was filed. Whoever she was, the information has been permanently deleted."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Just when he thought he would have all the information, it proved to be out of his reach. "It's fine Tuck. Would you mind downloading the ghost data to the mainframe? After that, copy everything to a private server and destroy the flash drive. Once that's done, I need you and Sam to meet me in the kitchen. We've got a lot to talk about."

XXX

Sam and Tucker sat at the kitchen island in a state of shock and disbelief. Their friend, their brother, was next in line to be the King of the Ghost Zone. Danielle, on the other hand, was bouncing with excitement and glee. "Daddy's gonna be a King!"

Team Phantom, despite their shock, couldn't help the loving smiles at the little halfa's joy. Danny picked her up and set the little halfa on his shoulders. "That's right, kiddo; daddy's going to be the King of Ghosts." Danielle giggled as her father swung her through the air and on his shoulders. A thought crossed her mind and she leaned over to look at Danny upside down.

"Daddy, if you're gonna be King...does that mean I'm gonna be a...a princess?"

Danny gave his amused friends a playful smirk and peered up at the curious child. "Going to be? What makes you think you aren't already a princess?"

This made Dani rest her arm on Danny's head and her chin in her hand, deep in thought. "Because I don't have a, um, a crown...or a dress, or a castle."

The older halfa looked up at her in mock surprise. "You want a dress, kiddo?"

Danielle nodded enthusiastically before frowning. "I do, but not in pink. Pink is dumb."

It was Sam's turn to smirk in amusement. "I'm glad her Auntie's style choices are rubbing off on her."

Danny and Tucker rolled their eyes, but smiled. The older Phantom picked Dani off his shoulders and set her on the floor. He knelt and whispered conspiratorially in her ear. "Tell you what, why don't you run upstairs and draw me a picture of what you want your dress and your crown to look like and I'll see about getting them made for you."

Dani squealed in joy and hugged her father before shooting through the ceiling to her room. Danny shook his head in amusement, then grew serious as he joined his friends. "Now that the princess is distracted, there's something else you guys need to know. There's going to be a coronation ceremony in twelve days, the day I turn eighteen."

Tucker leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Makes sense of why they'd have the ceremony on that day. In medieval times, a King wasn't sworn in until the day he became a man age wise. Though some children were sworn in as King when the kingdom was facing a time of hardships. Consider yourself lucky that the Zone hadn't faced a threat bigger than Pariah when you were still fourteen."

Danny nodded his agreement before Sam spoke up. "Are you going to do it? Become King?"

"I'm not sure that I have a choice. The way Clockwork and Death talk about the GZ, they make it sound like the Zone is... _alive_ somehow. I can only imagine what chaos would happen if the Zone went without a King."

Sam shared a look of determination with Tucker and turned back to Danny. "Then we'll help you prepare. We'll ask Clockwork and Grim for books and lessons on how to be a King of the Zone. Etiquette and mannerisms, the duties and responsibilities it comes with. Don't forget, you've got me and Tuck, and now you've got Danielle. We'll face this together, as a family."

"I'll always be here for you, daddy."

The trio looked up to see Danielle standing in the kitchen doorway, a small smile on her face. Danny smiled in return, and leaned down and gathered the little halfa in his arms in a hug. "I know, kiddo. Thank you." He turned to Sam and Tucker, the two people he considered as a brother and sister to him. Seeing them, hand in hand, looking at him and his new daughter with expressions of pride on their faces filled him with a confidence and determination he hadn't felt since the Disasteroid incident. He would face this new challenge just like every other hardship he encountered; only this time, this time he would not be alone.

They were a strange group of people; a half-ghost heir to the throne of King of Ghosts, a techno-geek, a recyclo-vegetarian, and a six-year-old half-ghost girl. No, they weren't a traditional family, but they were a family all the same, and Danny knew they would be there by his side until the end of time.

XXX

 **Okay, so I wanted to tackle the EmberxDanny aspect of the story but I was running out of time before Danny would become King, so I'm just gonna work it in through the next couple chapters. Also, in regards to a donor mother, I'm not going to bother with it for now unless I can find a good way to include one.**

 **Whatcha think of my version of little Dani? I want her to act like all innocent little girls, but still give her that tomboyishness 12 year old Danielle in the series possessed.**

 **I know, there was quite a bit of fluff in this chapter. Things will start to get more serious in the coming chapters but I will NOT abandon the fluffiness all-together, so fret not my readers.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	13. Ch 13: Flame in Your Eyes

**Please don't hate me. I wanted to update earlier this week but I got sidetracked and ended up leaving town to party with my boys. But I'm back and better than ever. Here comes the starting track of the rollercoaster that will be the start of Ember and Danny's beginnings.**

 **Enjoy!**

XXX

Danny and the team spent the next few days preparing for the upcoming ceremony. Tucker went to work on reverse-engineering Technus' ghost-tech, he had an idea for some new gear if he could figure out how exactly Technus' tech works. Meanwhile Sam set off in the Specter Speeder towards the Ghost Writers library, in search for information on past Ghost Kings as well as royal etiquette.

Danny, on the other hand, decided to help Danielle develop and learn to use her powers effectively. He didn't think she'd be getting into any fights, no not for a long time, but the team thought it a good idea if she at least knew how to defend herself. Because of this, we find our two favorite halfas in a lightly wooded area not far from the Mansion.

"Okay, kiddo, first thing I think you should learn is how to use your ghost-ray. This one's really easy to learn; basically all you have to do is point and shoot." Danny looked around before pointing at a small pine tree ten yards away. "I want you to shoot a ray at that tree. Aim at the tree with your palm facing towards it. Then you need to focus on the energy in your core. Imagine a wire running from your core to your palm, allowing energy to flow along the wire and exiting out of your hand."

Danielle nodded, and took a wide stance facing the tree. Raising her hand, palm facing out, the little halfa focused on her core and did as Danny instructed. Imagining the wire, and the energy flowing through it, she allowed it to flow and saw her hand start to glow and pushed the energy harder forcing a beam of green ecto-energy to shoot out her hand. The beam impacted the tree's trunk before it was reduced to a pile of ash. Danielle whooped and jumped into Danny's arms in a hug.

"I did it, daddy!"

"Nice job, kiddo! And on your first try too." Danny smiled down at her and the little halfa could see a look of pride in his eyes, making her determined to master her powers. "Now let's find a couple of boulders you can practice on so you don't go burning down the whole island, yeah?"

Danielle giggled and nodded in agreement and Danny started walking further inland. Before too long they found a wide open clearing dotted with boulders of various sizes. "This should work just fine. The rocks won't hold up to ghost rays forever but they last a lot longer than trees."

The littlest Phantom climbed down from Danny and started to fire low powered ghost rays at a boulder ten yards away. The older halfa leaned back against one of the rocks with his arms crossed and watched his daughter with a proud smile on his face. As he watched her progress he was surprised to already see several cracks forming on the medium sized boulder. Sure he could shatter one with a few low powered hits, but he was also seventeen and had had his powers for almost four years. The fact that Danielle was now almost six years old and, essentially, inexperienced he was amazed to see the boulder cracking after only six or seven hits.

Just as the large stone began to shatter, the two Phantoms were startled by an explosion far off to their right. Danny leapt into action and shifted to his ghost form. "Danielle, get back to the house and tell Uncle Tuck to activate the ghost shield. Go, now, as fast as you can."

Danielle looked like she was going to argue, but after one hard look from her father she relented and started flying towards the Mansion. Danny watched to make sure she was gone before turning towards the explosion and shot off like a bullet. Four years of flight had helped the older Phantom tremendously. He slowly increased his top speed from one-hundred and twelve miles per hour to close to two-hundred and fifty, and this allowed him to reach the explosion site in just a few seconds.

Danny stopped when he was only a few yards away and slowly approached a small crater. With his hands alight with ecto-energy, he approached the edge of the crater and peered down into the hole and his eyes widened in shock. There, lying unconscious at the bottom, sporting a number of bruises and an array of cuts leaking ectoplasm, was the fiery rockstar; Ember Mclain.

XXX

"What the hell…?" Danny made his way down the decline of the crater and crouched over Ember's still form. Her hair was still burning so he knew she was alive…er as much as a ghost can be, but it was burning very low. It was then Danny heard a deep voice that he hoped he wouldn't see for a while.

"That'll teach the has-been. No one walks out on Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter!"

It took the older Phantom a minute to process the meaning behind Skulkers words, but when he did he felt a rage he didn't know he possessed. The green in his eyes went from toxic to nuclear and his fists danced with blue ice and green fire. Danny slowly rose from the crater to face the mech suited hunter.

XXX

Skulker smirked evilly when he landed, examining the crater he had caused when he launched Ember into the surface of the island. He strolled, almost casually, towards the impact and began checking his weapons. "That'll teach the has-been. No one walks out on Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter!"

The mech-suited hunter froze when he felt a powerful pulse of ghostly energy ripple through the air. In all the decades of hunting the Ghost Zone, Skulker had never felt a ghostly aura as powerful as this one. The hunter knew that, if he hadn't combined his own suit with some of Technus' technology, this aura would surely have ripped the suit apart.

From the crater, rose the welp; Danny Phantom, and he looked pissed. When Skulker met the welp's eyes, he was sure he would have paled if he had skin. The intensity in which Phantom's eyes burned could be compared to nuclear fire. The rage within those glowing green beacons could've made Undergrowth wither in fear.

However, Skulker wasn't the, self-proclaimed, greatest hunter in the Ghost Zone for nothing. The mech-suited hunter had faced horrors and creatures most of the Zone couldn't dream of. Skulker schooled his face and allowed an evil grin. "Hello, welp. I see you've come across my woman. She's been rather... _disrespectful_ and I was just in the middle of correcting that issue. Get out of my way and you will live to be hunted another day."

Danny narrowed his eyes and the fire in his hands turned a crimson red, mixing with the blue ice energy, forming a deep purple around his clenched fists. In a deep voice, much the same of Dark Dan's, the Phantom growled warningly. "I'm usually a pretty merciful man, Tin Man. Leave now, or I won't hesitate to end you. Right here, right now."

Skulker visibly gulped, struggling to keep his composure, and scowled at the welp. "You think you can threaten me, boy? I am Skulker! Man and beast fear me! I am-" A purple blast of energy slammed into his chest plate, immediately hit his power core while simultaneously frying and freezing his circuits. Emergency systems ejected the green blob of his real body before the suit collapsed in a frozen and smoking heap of scrap metal.

The hunter, groaning, struggled to his tiny feet and turned, only to come face to face with the glowing purple hand of Phantom. "Listen here, Tiny. I will give you one last chance. Just. One. You leave now, and never come back. If I ever, _ever_ , see you around Ember or my family again...I will blast you into a pile of goo and deposit you in the deep corner of the Zone. Now. Go!"

Terrified for the first time in his afterlife, Skulker turned and used what little flight ability he had and shot off from the island. When he could no longer see the tiny blob, Danny quenched the energy in his hands and calmed the fire in his core before turning back to the crater. He made his way back down the decline and checked on Ember. Other than the cuts and bruises she seemed to be okay, physically anyway. He could feel how depleted her aura was, and it worried him. Rough and tough Ember Mclain had almost ceased to exist. Gently, Danny picked her up bridal style, ensuring he had a good hold on her, before taking flight and heading towards the mansion.

"Tucker, come in, Tucker. I need the medbay prepped a.s.a.p. Has Sam gotten back yet?"

"Yeah she's about ten minutes away. Danny what's going on? Are you injured?"

"I'm fine, but...well, you and Sam aren't going to like it...I just found Ember, she was nearly destroyed by the bastard, Skulker. She needs medical attention immediately. I'll get her situated in the medbay, I'll need you to explain the situation to Sam and send her down as soon as she gets here. Got it?"

There was shocked silence before Tucker finally responded. "Got it, dude...Medbay is prepped and ready for the patient."

"Thanks Tuck."

XXX

Danny set Ember gently on the bed and began tending to the smaller cuts; cleaning them and using a special ecto-infused thread to stitch up the wounds. After placing gauze over the largest of the lacerations, and cleaning off most of the ectoplasm, Danny pulled up a chair and watched over the unconscious rock star.

The older Phantom was shaken from his thoughts when Sam walked into the infirmary. "Danny, Tucker told me what happened. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sam." He motioned to Ember. "She's not though. Her aura was almost diminished entirely. I know we're enemies, but I haven't fought her in years and I couldn't just let her be destroyed. Can you help her?"

Sam approached the rock star and checked her over. The stitches on the smaller cuts were well done and the bleeding had slowed considerably. "I can fix her up. She'll be asleep for a day or two while her aura regains its energy but she'll be okay." The goth girl got to work and began patching up the large lacerations. "She got beat pretty bad."

Danny couldn't help but snort. "You should see the other guy."

"Tucker said Skulker was involved?"

The older Phantom's expression darkened. "He wasn't just _involved_ , he beat the hell out of her. Probably would have ended her if I hadn't gotten there when I did."

Sam was quiet for a moment while she tended to Ember's wounds. "I never liked her, but no one deserves this. It takes a monster to do this kind of damage."

Danny merely nodded. He watched quietly as Sam worked, still lost in thought over his fight with Skulker.He stood and put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "I'm going to check on Danielle. Thanks for doing this, Sam."

The goth girl gave him a small smile, and went back to work. Danny shot through the ceiling to his daughters door and knocked. Hearing his little girl prompt him to enter, he opened the door and spotted Danielle sitting at her desk surrounded by coloring utensils and loose sheets of paper.

"Hey, kiddo. What are you up to?" Danny walked up to her and willed a chair to appear before taking a seat.

"I was worried about you, so Uncle Tuck told me to draw some pictures so I don't worry too much." Danielle held up one of the papers and showed it to her father. "This one is Uncle Tuck and Auntie Sam."

"That's really good, kiddo. Clearly you have my artistic talent." Danny grinned and poked the little halfa's side, making her giggle. The older Phantom grew serious and made sure Danielle was paying attention. "Listen, kiddo, we're going to have a visitor in the medbay for a few days. I don't want you going near her unless me, Tucker or Sam are with you. Understand?"

The little halfa nodded. "Okay, daddy. Is she sick?"

"No, she got hurt really bad so she has to sleep for a couple days until she gets better."

Danielle looked thoughtful for a moment before her eyes lit up and crawled into Danny's lap. "Daddy, could I see her? I want to draw her a picture to make her feel better."

The older halfa smiled and wrapped his little girl in a warm hug. "That sounds like a good idea, kiddo." _That'd be a sight; the badass rocker chick, Ember Mclain, receiving a drawing from a five year old._ Danny thought with mirth in his eyes. He stood up, and tickled Danielles sides making her squeal and giggle. "First, let's get some dinner. We can visit our guest after."

With a happy smile, Dani climbed up on her father's shoulders as they exited her room and headed towards the kitchen.

XXX

The team met in the kitchen after a rather long and eventful day and though they were mostly exhausted, a certain six year old halfa and her infectious happiness had everyone smiling and enjoying their meal as a family.

After the last plate was cleaned and put in the dishwasher, Danny picked up his daughter and made his way to the new basement and towards the infirmary. When the pair reached the door, the older halfa set his daughter down beside him before taking her hand and entered the room.

Danielle gazed curiously at the bluish skinned woman with fire for hair that was currently sleeping in the hospital bed. The little halfa thought the woman looked very pretty. Her makeup, black eyeliner that extended below her right eye in a sharp curl, and pale green lipstick that adorned her blue lips that were a shade darker than her skin, complimented the natural beauty of the ghostly rocker. Her face was thin, but not sunken or hollow, her figure was thin as well but showed finely toned muscle and the curves of a young woman. What really caught Dani's attention were the low burning blue flames that served as her hair. The flames looked as though they should engulf the room in a fiery inferno, yet they licked harmlessly at the pillow and white bed spread.

As Dani examined the sleeping Ember, she noticed that the sleeping rockstar looked to be around her father's age. A mischievous smile crossed the little halfas face as an inspiration for what she could draw for the rockstar popped in her head. "She's really pretty, daddy."

Danny paused at the overly innocent tone of his daughters voice. He took a moment to really examine Ember for himself. All the time that the two had encountered one another it had been met with battles and banter, but now Danny could actually take in the form of Ember Mclain, and not Ember the Ghost Diva. Danielle was right, the rockstar was rather pretty, beautiful even. When she was asleep and didn't have that seemingly permanent smug smirk on her face, she actually looked rather peaceful and relaxed. "I suppose she is." The older Phantom replied slowly, seemingly transfixed at this revelation.

Danielle smiled smugly in triumph before floating up and kissing her father on the cheek. "I'm gonna go get ready for bed, night daddy."

"Night, kiddo. I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in." Danny replied distractedly, his eyes still fixed on Ember's sleeping form. The little halfa smiled and floated through the ceiling as a devious thought entered her head. _I wonder when their gonna go on their first date._

XXX

 **Aye, I can already hear the wedding bells. Lol, nah not just yet. So yeah there's the Ember you all wanted. There'll be more Ember interaction come next chapter. Not much else to say other than thank you for all your kind reviews. I'm glad you guys like little Dani so much. She's just a little angel with ulterior motives, muahahaha!**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and the fight scene. This is just a glimpse of Danny's power. I'll try not to make him** _ **too**_ **OOC but he's still gonna be an all around badass by the time I'm done with him.**

 **Thank you,my beautiful readers!**


	14. Ch 14: Coloring With The Kid

**Okey-dokey ladies and germs, here comes chapter 14. We're close to 200 follows and 115 favorites, so far so good. Much better than I had anticipated. So thank you all sooo much for your kind words and support. Anyway, hope you enjoy the story so far and please don't be afraid to leave a review.**

XXX

Ember woke slowly to a myriad of smells: the sterile stench of cleaning supplies, and the sickly sweet burn of ozone hung in the air. She cracked one eye open, only to immediately squeeze it shut as the harsh lighting of the room assaulted her vision. With wakefulness came a dull aching, not only in her head but the rest of her body as well. The rockstar felt like she had been hit by a cement truck, groaning as the pain flared. A small, feminine voice startled her into alertness.

"Are you okay?"

Embers eyes flew open, squinting slightly at the harsh lighting, and turned her head to find a small, raven haired girl gazing up at her from the floor a few feet from the bed. The little girl looked oddly familiar, but the ghostly diva couldn't figure out why. Groaning, she started to sit up, only to collapse back on the bed with her head spinning. "Ugh...where...where the hell am I?"

A look of disapproval crossed the little girl's face. Ember noted how adorable that expression looked as the girl spoke. "You aren't supposed to curse. Daddy doesn't like when Uncle Tuck curses around me."

 _Daddy? Uncle Tuck? Where the hell am I?_ Ember didn't respond, opting to examine what little she could see of the room. It looked like some kind of hospital room; while rather small, it seemed to have enough room for maybe ten patients and appeared well stocked to take care of a number of injuries. The rockstar glanced down and saw her arm and abdomen were wrapped in layers of gauze and stitches. _Well, that explains why I feel like shit_.

"Miss ghost lady?"

Ember turned her head and looked at the little girl with an eyebrow raised. The girl was smiling shyly and fidgeting nervously with a piece of paper in her hands. "It's Ember, pipsqueak. Ember Mclain."

The girls smile grew slightly and the fidgeting had subsided a little as she held up the paper in her hands. "Daddy said you were hurt so you had to sleep for a while. So I said I wanted to draw you a picture to help you feel better. I hope you like it."

Ember hesitated for a moment, she wasn't used to people doing things for her. Much less being nice to her like this kid. With a shaky hand, she reached out and took the paper and held it up to examine it. While it did look like a child had drawn it, the picture was actually very well done. Ember could obviously identify the blue skinned, flaming haired girl that was supposed to be her, but the raven haired boy her drawn self was holding hands with wasn't as recognizable.

"Who's the dude?"

The girl smiled wider and Ember almost caught what looked like a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "That's my daddy."

The ghost diva cocked an eyebrow and looked back at the drawing. Obviously the black hair and the blue eyes matched with the girls, but she still couldn't figure out why they looked so familiar.

"Danielle, what have I told you about being down here by yourself?"

Ember's head shot up in time to see a tall, raven haired man enter the room, his eyebrow cocked and shooting the now sheepish girl, _Danielle_ , a playful glare.

"To only be here if you or Auntie Sam or Uncle Tuck was with me. But, daddy, she was asleep, and I wanted to give her my picture." Danielle's eyes widened and her lip stuck out into an adorable pout that even Ember found herself seemingly unable to put any blame on the girl. The man held his hard look for only a moment before sighing in defeat.

He strode into the room and picked Danielle up by the waist, tickling her ribs and growling playfully. "Grr, why'd Sam have to teach you that? She knows that look is my weakness." The little raven haired girl giggled as she tried to wiggle out of his arms.

Ember's jaw dropped in shock when the girl went intangible and dropped through the man's arms and to the floor. Danielle put her hands on her hips and glared cutely up at her father. "Daddy! Miss Ember is awake."

The man turned to Ember and his expression grew serious as he slowly approached her bed. "Are you alright? Anything hurt? I've got an I.V. drip with morphine laced ectoplasm for the pain if you need it."

The rockstar blinked at the concern in the man's eyes before shaking her head. "Nah, I'm alright. Just feel like I got hit by a truck and fell of a cliff...where am I? Who are you?"

The man cocked a brow and smirked. "You don't recognize me? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's been months since we last fought and and I've grown quite a bit. Not to mention you usually see the other half and not the real me."

Before Ember could respond a flash of whitish-blue rings appeared around his midsection and began moving in opposite directions. The man's white shirt and blue jeans turned into a black and white jumpsuit. His hair turned from raven black to snowy white and his piercing baby blue eyes flashed iridescent green. "Dipstick!?"

Danny huffed in annoyance, before turning to Danielle. "Hey, kiddo, why don't you run upstairs and ask Auntie Sam to get a plate of food for Ember here, okay?"

"Okay, daddy. See you later miss Ember!" The girl turned intangible and flew through the ceiling. Danny watched her leave before turning back to the rockstar. Summoning a chair, he sat down by her bed and fixed his eyes on hers.

"Well, you've got questions. I've got answers. Shoot."

"...Where the hell am I, dipstick?"

"You're still in the Zone, you're just in my lair is all. Welcome to Phantom Mansion by the way."

Ember paused, _Phantom Mansion? Since when does dipstick have a lair?_ "Who was the kid?"

"My daughter. Her name is Danielle."

The diva raised her brow. "You've got a kid? Didn't think you had that active of a love life."

Danny rolled his eyes before leaning forward. "Do you remember anything? How you got hurt?"

The rockstar scrunched her brow together and tried to recollect. "I...I remember I was flying to Kitty's. I had broken up with Skulker a few days ago and I went to get my stuff from his place. We got into an argument and I left, very pissed off. I was trying to get to Kitty's place because, you know, girl talk and all that crap. I heard this whining noise, like a jet starting up. Then I felt like I was hit by hellfire, before blacking out. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here with...Danielle? Yeah, baby-dip, giving me a picture."

Danny gave a snort of amusement at the nickname, before growing serious again. Ember could almost see the nuclear fire in his eyes as he spoke. "Skulker did this to you. You crashed into my island yesterday. Hit so hard you formed a crater. Then the Tin Man shows up, spouting off like he usually does. He said he was going to...teach you a lesson." Phantom was growling through clenched teeth by this point, his hands curled into tight fists. "I almost destroyed him."

Ember's eyes widened and she felt something tug at where her heart used to beat. The dipstick had defended her? _Her?_ One of the many ghosts who caused him so much trouble in the past and had nearly killed him and that goth chick a few years ago.

"...why?" The diva mentally cursed at how small her voice sounded.

Phantom stiffened slightly and averted his eyes. He was quiet a moment before glowing green eyes met hers. The fire once in them calmed yet ever present. "Because it was the right thing to do."

Ember met his gaze and shivered, his eyes burned with an intensity she couldn't identify. The diva cleared her throat and averted her eyes. "Right. Well, thanks, dipstick."

Danny cocked his brow and smirked. "Wow. Did miss badass-Ember-Mclain just thank me for saving her afterlife?"

The rockstar growled and shot him a glare. "Don't get used to it."

Phantom chuckled and willed himself to change back to Fenton. Standing, he vanished the chair and produced a pair of crutches. "If you're feeling up to it, feel free to walk around and get your bearings. I'll be down in a bit to bring you some lunch if your hungry."

"Thanks, dip-er _Danny_ …"

Phantom shot a small smile as he set the crutches down before leaving the room. Ember smiled inwardly, the halfa still on her mind. Shaking her head, the diva casta glance at the crutches. She knew this wasn't going to be fun, but the sooner she was on her feet the better.

XXX

"Are you sure it's a good idea to have one of your enemies, a girl who has tried to take over Amity, not to mention almost destroyed you, staying here? In your home?" Sam asked, heatedly. "It would be one thing if it was Amorpho or even Young Blood, they're more annoying than a threat, but this is _Ember Mclain_ we're talking about here."

Danny sighed as he ran his hand over his face. "I know, Sam. Don't think I don't realize we have a level five ghost currently occupying one of the sick beds. But you didn't see what I saw; you didn't see the intent in Skulker's eyes. He would've beat her within an inch of her afterlife and done...who knows what else…" he fixed Sam with a hard gaze. "I know what it's like to face someone like that. The look on his face was the same dangerous look my parents gave me. I wasn't just going to leave her there and let that over-sized tin can of a bastard do whatever he wanted with her."

Sam opened her mouth to retort but close it just as quickly. She glanced at Tucker, who had stayed quiet during the whole discussion. "What's your opinion on this?"

The tech-wizard looked between them before letting out a small sigh. "I think, if Danny is going to be this great Ghost King, that stopping attacks like this is a good thing. Offering hospitality and shelter to those who have been injured or severely injured in a fight will be one of his duties as a king. Politically, this is a good idea. It'll gain us more allies and support for when Danny is crowned."

"But, Tucker, she's dangerous! Not to mention there's a five year old living here who could be in danger too!" Sam refuted weakly.

"I know, I'm well aware. I'm not letting anyone walk into this situation blindly. I'll set up proper safety protocols and security measures just in case. She's a guest, not a prisoner. Which means we'll treat her as such and offer her a place to stay until she's well enough."

Sam growled angrily, then sighed in defeat. "Fine. I don't like it but I'll try to accept it."

Danny smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, guys. It's only a few days, a week at the most. For now, I'm gonna take her some lunch and then I'm taking Danielle out to train for a couple hours. Reach me on the Phan Phones if there's any problems."

Tucker shot him a thumbs up as the halfa left with a plate of sandwiches and a couple of sodas.

XXX

As Danny approached the door to the med-bay, he could hear voices coming from the room. Willing himself invisible, he stepped through the door and was shocked at the scene before him. Danielle sat with Ember at a small, steel table coloring and talking. The little halfa was chattering away while the rockstar smirked in amusement at the little girls antics.

The older halfa started to feel kind of happy that his daughter and Ember seemed to be getting along so far. Maybe having her here wouldn't be so bad after all.

Danny stepped back through the door and knocked, entering when Ember prompted him to. "Hey ladies. Ember I brought you lunch."

"Thanks, dipstick." Ember monotoned, grabbing a green crayon from the box on the table.

"Sure thing hot-head."

The ghost diva glared at him making him smirk. Danny set the plate on the table and sat down, pulling Danielle onto his lap. "Hey, kiddo. What are you drawing?"

"It's you fighting that dumb metal man, daddy."

"Skulker? Can I see?" The little halfa raised her hands to show of her picture. What clearly looked like Phantom could be seen delivering an uppercut to a large robotic man, undoubtedly Skulker. "That's really good, Dani. Good job!"

Danielle gave him a wide grin as Danny hugged her. "Thank you. Daddy, you should see what Miss Ember drew."

The older Phantom smirked as he looked at the rockstar. "What did _Miss Ember_ draw?"

The diva shot him a defiant glare, but gave up and hung her head as she pushed the paper towards him. Danny looked it over and gave a questioning look. Ember sighed before explaining. "It's a design for a cover for a new song I thought about writing."

The older Phantom returned his gaze to the picture. A shadowy figure stood front and center, who seemed to be divided by pale blue line. The left half had generous amounts of blue with a few curls of black thrown in in the background, while that side of the figures face clearly showed a single bright blue eye. The right side background was shaded bright green with swirls of white thrown in, and the same side of the figure sported an iridescent green eye. "This is really cool. Does it have a title?"

Danny noticed the rockstar seemed to blush a darker shade of blue before mumbling her answer. "Split Down The Middle."

There was an awkward pause as the halfa's clueless mind slowly caught up to what the picture implied, and his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Ember had been inspired by _him_ to write a song. She didn't have to say it, even someone as clueless as Danny Fenton could have put two-and-two together. The Phantom was shaken form his thoughts when his daughter waved her hand in front of his face.

"Daddy? Can we go train? I wanna learn more ghost powers!"

"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, let's go, kiddo. Say bye to Miss Ember."

Danielle turned to the ghostly diva and smiled. "Bye, Miss Ember. Thanks for coloring with me." Then the little halfa did something that shocked the two adults; Danielle jumped up and hugged the rockstar.

Ember was too shocked and surprised to reciprocate, but the little halfa smiled nonetheless and let go. "Uh, yeah. Any time, Baby-Dip."

Danielle grinned and took her dazed father's hand, before tugging him along towards the door and up the stairs.

The rockstar stared numbly at the door, her head spinning. The little ankle-biter hugged her. _Her!_ Nobody in her afterlife ever hugged her, not even that miserable excuse of a hunter. It was a weird feeling for Ember. Despite her core being a fire-elemental, she was always cold and disconnected from everything. She like doing what she wanted and didn't care about anyone but herself, Kitty and, at one point, her pathetic ex-boyfriend. But now, after finding out the halfa had not only defended her and patched her up, but also appeared to be genuinely concerned for her, and seeing how the dipstick interacted with his daughter and the hug she got from the little halfa, it made something inside her feel warm, and this time it wasn't her ghost core. No, this was something different, something that almost made her feel... _alive_.

Ember glanced down at the picture she drew and felt her face flush. She had seen the bewildered look in the dipsticks eyes, he knew exactly who she drew. The diva glared and began scolding herself. "So what? Who cares what that dipstick thinks? So I drew a picture for a new song? It's not like it means anything…" Then a traitorous thought wiggled its way into her head. _Or does it?_

XXX

 **Grrr this chapter took me forever to get the way I wanted it. But I think I did it justice. I tried to capitalize on Sam's defiant nature, Tucker's knack for being a mediator, and Ember's rebellious nature. I think it turned out alright.**

 **Also, sorry for the late update. Been a busy few weeks and I had a birthday a couple days ago. Officially 20 years of age as of Tuesday, one more year before I can legally get plastered! Lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I want to thank you all for the generous reviews and for sticking with it despite my late updates.**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	15. Ch 15: Hearts and Minds

**Alrighty, hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter. Lets see what chapter 15 has in store for us, shall we?**

 **Now for some review response:**

 **Dalton Wolfe: Don't we all? She's just the most precious hybrid in all the DP universe!**

 **Guardian Boreal: Thanks bruv, though I can't make any promises about next year, haha! Glad you're enjoying the story so far. I'm glad it's as much fun to read as it is to write!**

 **Runeion: I apologize for not giving you a response before. To answer your questions, the Mansion will be around 20,000 square feet. Ground level is half kitchen, half living room/family room. Second level contains 3 guest rooms, 2 of which belonging to Danielle, and Sam and Tucker, and the Master bedroom. Each room has its own bathroom, complete with waterfall showers, jacuzzis, and vanity sinks. The basement level is a new addition, containing a training room, medbay, and a lab(home to Tucker's tech and various experiments. Danny can add almost anything he wants to the house, however I'm not sure of adding in personal rooms like recording studios but I will give it some thought. Hope this was informative.**

 **Enjoy!**

XXX

After a couple days of rest and meds, Ember found herself able to float without exhausting herself too much. Her flaming hair was close to its natural height and she felt more like she'd been hit by a small sedan than a large cement truck.

To celebrate her health, Danielle decided to give the rockstar a tour of Phantom Mansion and had somehow convinced her to go on a walk with the little Phantom. The raven haired girl pulled Ember by hand through the house, showing her each room; the kitchen and living room, the guest room, the master bedroom, a few rooms that Danny had added on -the basement lab, infirmary, and the training room- before proudly presenting her the little halfas room.

Ember was actually pretty impressed with Danielle's room. Posters of a few bands she liked covered the walls, along with several crayon and color pencil drawings of, what the rockstar assumed was, their small family and a few of the friendlier ghosts of the Zone.

"Wow, didn't think you'd like Dumpty Humpty, baby-dip." The rockstar mused, examining a few of the band posters.

Danielle broke out in a huge grin. "They're my favorite band. Daddy bought me a few of their newer CDs and a Dumpty Humpty egg plushy."

Ember smirked as the little Phantom started holding up the various band merchandise. "Lucky you, eh baby-dip?" The rockstar began walking up and started looking at a few of the drawings Danielle had put up.

"Um, Miss Ember?" The ghost diva turned to see the littlest halfa give her a shy smile, and cocked a brow questioningly. "Uncle Tucker said that you're a rockstar in the Ghost Zone, and I was wondering...could I have a couple of your CDs?"

Ember's eyes went wide with disbelief. "Y-you actually want to listen to my music? Seriously?"

The shy smile grew into a big grin and Danielle nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please? Uncle Tucker says you're really good." Once again, the diva could've sworn she saw a mischievous glint in the little girl's eyes. "Daddy thinks you're really good too."

Ember's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Alright, baby-dip, spill. What game are you playing?"

The little halfa looked at her innocently with wide eyes. "I'm not playing anything, Miss Ember."

The rockstar gave her a flat look. "Right, and I'm still alive. I may look eighteen, pipsqueak, but I'm older than you think. Now. Talk."

Danielle tried to stay quiet, but Ember's hard look was almost as strong as her father's, and sighed in defeat. "Fine. To be honest, my daddy has done a lot for me in the last few weeks. He brought me to a friend who fixed me, he accepted me as his daughter and gave me a home and a new aunt and uncle. He's teaching me to use my powers and he promised to protect me. I wanted to do something for him, so I thought...maybe...I could get him a girlfriend…"

 _Well...didn't expect that._ Ember stiffened in mute shock. "You're trying to...set me and dipstick up?" The rockstar asked slowly, as if trying to understand.

"Maybe…" Danielle drawled out, taking a sudden interest in her shoes.

Ember was frozen in place as her mind started racing. _Me? And Dipstick? It would never work...right?_ The rockstar wasn't an idiot, she had seen the sneaking glances, the way his eyes lingered just a second too long, the look in his eyes when she was hanging with Baby-Dip. Could it be, the looks she had assumed were from caution...were actually looks of attraction?

The ghost diva shook the thought free, and gazed down at the little girl. "Look, kid. I get that you want to do something nice for your dad and all that but...I don't think me and dipstick would ever work."

Danielle gazed up at the flaming haired girl and frowned, a sad look in her eyes. "Why not?"

Ember sighed and sat on the edge of the little halfa's bed. "Because we're too different. He fights ghosts, I'm a ghost and one of his enemies...or used to be...kind of. Anyway, I'm dead. He's not...well, not completely anyway."

Danielle walked over and sat down next to the rockstar, her brow furrowed in thought. "Okay, so there's a few differences...but you two have things in common. Daddy hates Skulker, so do you. You both like Dumpty Humpty and a bunch of other bands. You like to sing and daddy loves to hear you sing."

The ghost divas eyes widened slightly and she glanced down at the little halfa. "He does?"

The little girl nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! He's listened to all your songs. Sometimes he plays them while he trains and sometimes, when he has a nightmare, he listens to your slower songs too. They help him sleep."

There it is again. That stupid warm feeling was spreading throughout her body. _Dip...Danny likes my music?_ Ember thought it was sweet that her music helped chase away his nightmares. Then a thought crossed her mind that made her worry. _He has nightmares?_

"How often does he have a bad dream?"

Danielle looked up at her sadly. "Almost every night." Ember watched as tears began to trek down the little halfa's face. The rockstar surprised herself and pulled Dani into a hug. "I-I just want him t-to be happy! My daddy i-is the nicest, bravest daddy in the whole w-world, but even he gets s-scared."

The rockstar began to smooth Danielle's hair soothingly, gently rock them both back and forth. The little halfa's sobs slowed until all that could be heard were small sniffles. "M-miss Ember?"

"Yeah, baby-dip?"

Danielle took a second to calm her trembling self before speaking in a small voice. "I know you and my daddy used to be really mean to each other, but I see how he looks at you, and how you look at him. Will you...will you give my daddy a chance?"

Ember was silent for a moment, as if weighing the options. "Tell you what, pipsqueak. If you stop trying to set us up, and let us figure it out, then I'll give it a chance. Deal?"

The little halfa looked up and gave her a watery smile. "Deal."

XXX

As Jazz Fenton climbed out of her green coupe in the mid-day sun, she couldn't help but smile when she set her eyes on the observatory topped, two-story brick building of Fenton Works.

The eldest Fenton had had a tough freshman year at her University, but she loved every class and was proud to say she gave every assignment her best. She just hoped her family would be just as proud. Regardless, Jazz Fenton was happy to be home.

"Mom! Dad! Danny! I'm home!" The Fenton daughter called as she entered her family home. The only response she received were the sounds of powertools and blow torches from doorway of the basement lab. Jazz rolled her eyes and started towards the stairs to the second floor, her roller suitcase trailing behind her.

The redhead came to Danny's door first and knocked before twisting the knob. "Danny?"

The room was dark and, her attentive mind couldn't help but notice, very dusty. It seemed like nobody had been in here in quite a while. _Maybe...maybe he moved out or he's been staying at Tuckers. Yeah that must be it._

Jazz shut the door and continued on to her old room, an inkling of worry working its way into her mind. As she set her suitcase on the bed the anxious feeling began to settle. _Maybe I should call him. He'll be so happy to hear that I'm home_. Extracting her cell phone from her pocket, the redhead dialed her brothers number and listened as the device started to ring...and ring...and ring.

"Okaayy, let's try Tucker then." Again, the phone continued its dulled ring with no answer. "Sam?" Once again, no answer. "Okay, somethings up. Even if they were fighting ghosts, at least one of them would've picked up."

Anxiously, Jazz fingered the little Phantom phone charm Danny had given her as a gag on her birthday the year before. The redhead started towards the stairs and down towards the lab. _Maybe mom and dad know where he is._

Descending the corrugated steel plated stairs, the eldest Fenton child spotted her parents hard at work. Maddie was stationed in front of a bank of monitors, pouring over information and readouts, while Jack was building what looked to be a new Spectre Speeder.

"Mom? Dad?"

Maddie Fenton looked up from the computers and smiled as her daughter approached. "Oh, Jazz! Welcome home, sweetheart!" The Fenton matriarch gave her warm hug.

Jazz pulled away and smiled. "Hi, mom. Have you-"

"Jazzy!" The redhead was enveloped in a sea of orange jumpsuit and the smell of fudge that was her father.

"C-can't...breathe…!"

"Oops, sorry Jazzy-pants." The large, strong arms of the Fenton patriarch receded, allowing Jazz to suck in a deep breath.

"Hi dad. It's good to be home. I'm so glad to see you guys." The redhead college girl looked at the mess of parts and equipment strewn around the lab. "So what's with the science projects?"

Jazz noticed her parents share a nervous glance, and cocked an eyebrow. Maddie waved at the half finished Specter Speeder Two dismissively. "Oh nothing to worry about, sweetie. The old Speeder was, um, outdated. So your father and I decided to break it down and start from scratch, that's all."

Jack threw a massive arm around his wife's shoulders and gave Jazz a classic Fenton Grin. "That's right Jazzy-pants, nothin' to worry about!"

"...okay then. Have you guys seen Danny? He wasn't in his room and he and his friends aren't answering their cell phones."

Jazz was startled when a dark look crossed her parents faces. Maddie looked apologetic as she grabbed her daughters hands and looked her in the eye. "Jasmine, sweetheart, Danny...wasn't _Danny_."

The redhead felt her heart rate increase. "W-what do you mean?"

"Jazz, Danny was-"

"Danny was possessed by a damn spook."

Jazz stared at her father with wide eyes. _Oh god, they found out._

"That spectral bastard, Phantom, possessed him. Who knows how long that ecto-entity was in him. We tried to capture him...the bastard flew away before we could do anything." Jack growled, massive fists clenched at his sides.

Maddie released Jazz's hands and wrapped her own around Jack's arm. "We're building a new Specter Speeder so we can run aerial scans of Amity and hopefully find Danny and Phantom."

 _Please, if Danny really did run away, he wouldn't stay in Amity. The Ghost Zone is more likely._ "How long until the Speeder's ready?"

The Fenton patriarch approached the seemingly half built craft and ran some calculations. "A few weeks at least. A month at the most. Don't worry, Jazzy." Jack turned and gave her a hopeful smile. "We'll find Danny, and bring him home."

 _That's what I'm afraid of..._ Jazz gave them both a false smile. "I really hope so dad. Well, I'm gonna go unpack. Love you guys." She turned and walked calmly back up the stairs and headed towards her room. _Don't worry, Danny. I'll find you before they do. I promise._

XXX

 **Hell hath no fury like a sister scorned. Jazz may have been level headed so far, but the fits gonna hit the shan pretty soon.**

 **So, Ember's finally decided to accept her feelings for the dipst...err,** _ **Danny**_ **. I'll bet Danielle is feelin' pre-tty smug right about now, hehehe.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed and please don't forget to leave a review. Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	16. Ch 16: Heat of The Moment

**I understand my story may be moving just a little too quickly, so I will attempt to venture on at a more even pace. For those of you with qualms about the rate at which Ember is developing feelings for Danny, I will point out that she has merely admitted to finding our halfa attractive. She won't be professing her undying love to him any time soon, she only promised our favorite adorable halfa that she would give Danny a chance should it arise. Therefore, let us get on with the story. This chapter will be mostly family focused within Team Phantom, as well as some POV from Ember. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the band Asia, whose song this chapter is named after, nor do I own any rights to Danny Phantom.**

XXX

"CANNONBALL!"

The team glanced up just in time to be hit with a big wave of water. Two sopping wet halfas and a goth girl looked up at the lake to see a grinning Tucker with his head poking out of the water.

"Tucker Foley!" Sam screamed, and started to berate the now sheepish techno-geek. While the boy was busy getting chewed out by his girlfriend, Danny winked at Danielle and jerked his head towards Tucker. The little halfa took the hint and grinned mischievously, before going invisible.

"Hey, Tuck!" The techno-geek turned to the older Phantom. "Dude, you might want to get out of the water, it looks pretty cold in there."

Right on cue an ice ray seemed to appear from thin air and partially freeze the water around Tucker. The effect was immediate, and had the techno-geek chattering and treading water to get to the shore. A laughing Danielle could be seen, now visible, clutching her sides in laughter from above the lake.

"Holy c-crap that's c-cold!" Danny and Sam, who had temporarily forgotten her anger at the dark-skinned boy, had joined the little halfa in her laughter.

After weeks of work and preparation for Phantom becoming king, the team decided to take a break for a few days. The ceremony wasn't for another week and Clockwork had informed Danny as best he could to have him prepared for taking on the royal mantle of the Ghost Zone. So we find our ghost fighting team around Lake Phantom (as Danny had so graciously named) enjoying a free day of swimming, horseplay, and just acting like the teens and children they are. Even Ember, after constant begging and a core melting puppy dog pout from Danielle, had agreed to join the team in their outing.

The rockstar was currently parked at the base of a large apple tree, strumming her guitar and working on lyrics, while idly watching the others swim. While she didn't typically enjoy these types of outings, she couldn't complain too much. Seeing her old enemy in nothing but a pair of boardshorts wasn't a terrible way to spend the day. The blue-eyed halfa was a sight to behold; the years of ghost fighting had done his body good, producing a well defined physique. From his strong back and his washboard stomach, the sight would have any girl swooning.

Ember prided herself in not buckling at the knees, though she could do without the incessant blushing, whenever she caught sight of the shirtless older halfa. The likes of which she noticed was approaching her with a smile on his face.

"Hey Ember."

"What's up dipstick?" The rockstar greeted, still fiddling with her guitar.

Danny motioned towards the lake and the couple plus one halfa, who were engaging in a splash fight. "Would you like to join us? Danielle's been asking non-stop 'is miss Ember going to swim with us?'"

Ember gazed out at the little halfa, splashing and laughing with her aunt and uncle, and gave a small smile. "Thanks, but fire cores and water don't exactly mix well together...water in the Ghost Zone especially."

The rockstar noticed Danny's smile drop just a little. "I'm sorry, I hadn't thought of that. Wish you could though, Danielle was really looking forward to it."

Ember couldn't resist the opportunity to get the halfa back for making her blush all day, whether he intended to or not. "So would swimming with you guys be a benefit to babydip, or for you to see me in a two-piece?"

She was filled with glee to see his face turn cherry red and start to rub the back of his neck. "Right, well...um...uh."

Ember couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. "I-I'm just messing with you, dipstick!"

Danny huffed with annoyance, but couldn't help but smile seeing the hotheaded rockstar with a smile on her face. Not mention he thought she had a rather cute laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, hothead."

Ember rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.

"How are your injuries?"

The rockstar shrugged, her gaze fixed on her guitar. "Still kinda sore, but my aura is almost back to normal and most of the cuts are gone. Other than that and a little bruising, I'm fine."

Danny smile as he lowered himself on the grass. "That's good to hear. Danielle really took a shine to you. Every day she asks me if your feeling better. I don't know what you did, but that little girl just loves you."

"She's a cute kid...there's no way she's your daughter." That earned her a laugh and an eye roll. "Can I ask you a question though?"

Danny turned his gaze on the little halfa, his face adopting a solemn look. "You want to know her story."

Ember fidgeted a little, realizing the subject of Danielle's past might be a sore subject for the older halfa. "You don't have to tell me. I'm sorry I asked."

"No. It's alright. You obviously care for my daughter and she looks to you like a sister." Danny took a deep breath and let it out slow. "Remember that other halfa, Plasmius? Old guy, weird hair, classic cliche villain type?"

Ember smirked a little and nodded.

"About four or five years ago, the old fruitloop tried to clone me. Wanted to make the perfect son, or protege, or something. Danielle was one of four other clones, but she was unstable. Plasmius didn't have enough of the right form of DNA to complete the cloning process, so he tasked her with finding me and taking me to the fruitloop so he could take my mid-morph DNA. I showed her how twisted and manipulative Plasmius was and she turned on him. Danielle saved my life." A ghost of a smile crossed his face as he watched his little girl laugh when as her uncle lifted her onto his shoulders.

"Wait...four or five years ago? How is that possible? She's what, five now?"

"Vlad 'engineered' her to be twelve years old when he made her." Danny adopted a dark look. "Six months after she saved me, I found her in Amity, almost melting from her destabilization problem. Fast forward to another run in with Plasmius and that sick bastard is trying to melt her down and recreate her, saying she was a 'failed experiment'.

"I found a way to stabilize her thanks to another failed Fenton weapon, but again she left to see the world. She showed up about a month ago with a flash drive that basically says she is, in fact, my biological daughter. After a quick trip to the Far Frozen, by her request, we injected her with my mid-morph DNA and less than twenty-four hours later she's five years old."

"...Damn." Ember was overcome with feelings of sadness for the little halfa's past and enraged at that sick bastard, Plasmius. "At least now she has a father. Now she can look forward to waking up every day with a family she loves, and knows they love her back."

That seemed to lighten his mood and lift his spirits. Danny held his head just a little bit higher and he gazed at Danielle with an expression so full of love, Ember actually felt a little envious. The rockstar hadn't felt or seen love like that in all thirty years of her afterlife. She turned her own gaze to the little halfa and smiled sadly. "I don't know what I'm going to do when I get my strength back. She's going to be heartbroken when I have to leave."

Danny's head whipped around and looked at her with confusion. "When you have to leave? Why do you have to?"

It was Embers turn to look confused. "Well yeah. I mean, I don't live here, and I haven't been to my lair in a few days."

"Well...you don't have to leave. You could...um, stay..here...if you want."

The rockstar stared at him with wide eyes, and it took her a few minutes to actually find the words. "Are you...are you asking me to stay?"

Danny was blushing hard at this point, trying his best to avoid her gaze. "Well I mean we have a spare room, and plenty of space, and Danielle really seems to like you. If you want, you're more than welcome to stay."

"I'll...think about it...thank you...Danny."

The smile he gave the rockstar would have made her heart skip a beat if she still had one and for once, she actually smiled back.

XXX 

Danielle sat on the bank of the lake, observing her small family with a light heart. Just a month ago she was a lonely girl, living on the street with nowhere to go. Now? Now she had a father who loved her more than anything, a funny uncle, and an aunt who loved to spoil her. And from the way her father and Ember were smiling and talking to each other, she had a sneaking suspicion that she would be gaining another family member soon.

The littlest halfa liked miss Ember. The ghost diva was funny, and played guitar really well. She even promised Danielle that she would teach the little halfa how to play when she got big enough to hold a guitar properly. Suffice it to say, everything in Danielle's life was going great for the first time in a long time.

The little raven haired girl turned her gaze back to where she sat by the water's edge and focused on her ice core. A faint blue glow started to form in her palm and she focused on drawing moisture from the lake. Danielle focused on manipulating the water, picturing a sphere in her mind, and after several minutes made a perfect sphere of ice appear in her hand. Her blue eyes grew wide and a huge grin crossed her face. The little halfa took flight and started towards her father.

"Daddy-" Danielle's excitement was cut short when she gasped and a blue mist escaped her lips. Danny's head shot up when he heard his daughter and the same blue mist escaped his mouth.

"Tucker!" The techno-geek whipped around, his expression turning grave at Danny's earnest tone. "Protocol: Delta-Three-Sierra. Get Danielle out of here!"

Without missing a beat the techno-wizard and his girlfriend sprang into action. Sam grabbed Danielle and started sprinting towards the mansion while Tucker pulled out his PDA and started punching in a series of commands. Ember was on her feet, guitar in hand and ready, the moment everyone sprang into action. She watched as familiar blue rings appeared around Danny's waist and split in opposite directions up and down his body.

Bare skin and boardshorts were replaced by his new jumpsuit. Instead of the plain black with white accents the suit had silver gloves that reached his elbows, with small wrist mounted ecto-guns placed on the back of both gloves. Gone were the plain ankle high boots, replaced with silver combat boots reaching mid-calf, the soles glowing green with ecto-energy. The suit itself remained all black with twin stripes of silver running up the middle of the chest and abdomen, and looping around the collar. His DP signal was now green with the 'P' remaining black invert, and much of the silver was accented in ecto-green as well.

"Let's see which jerk decided to crash our fun family outing at my lake." Danny growled, reaching out with his aura to sense the trespasser.

"Aww, how sweet. The creepy ghost boy has a new family...ooo, and he has a little Phantom brat too!" A feminine and mocking voice sneered. The halfa shifted into a fighting stance as the shadowed form of Spectra melted out of the shade of a nearby tree.

"Spectra. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be locked away in Walker's prison?"

The ecx-school counselor gave him a predatory grin. "Why, Danny, you know I couldn't stay away from you and that delicious misery you seem to always carry around."

Ember felt a shudder run through her body at the hungry expression on Spectra's face while Danny continued his banter. "And you call me creepy? Speaking of which, where's your fanboy? Finally learn to think for himself and left you high and dry-?"

The halfa was cut off by a scream. Danny shifted his gaze and his blood boiled over. Bertrand, Spectra's attack dog, had intercepted Danielle and Sam in the form of a green mountain lion with glowing red eyes. "My, my. What have we here? Two lovely young ladies trying to get away?"

"Daddy!"

Bertrand paused, momentarily confused. Daddy? Who the hell is 'daddy'? As if on cue, an animalistic roar sounded off to the green animorphs right before he found himself being launched over a hundred yards into the side of a very large oak tree. The animorph lay stunned at the base of the tree as a shadow fell over him. He opened his eyes and instantly felt his ectoplasm run cold; the Phantom twerp stood before him, eyes burning so bright they blocked out his pupils, his fists glowing with swirling purple ecto-energy.

"Stay away from my daughter." Bertrand shuddered at the bone-chillingly calm tone of the halfa's voice.

Ember and Spectra stood in stunned silence at the speed and ferocity Danny had demonstrated. The ghost psychologist schooled her expression and plastered on her predatory grin. She turned to Ember and gazed at her over her glasses. "My word, Danny-boy sure is strong. You wouldn't happen to know if he's single by any chance?"

The rockstar's eye twitched and she turned a murderous gaze on Spectra. "Don't even think about it, bitch." Before the psychologist could make a snarky remark Ember swung her guitar around as she turned the dial and slammed a hard chord. A huge blue fist flew from the strings and slammed into Spectra, sending her flying into a nearby boulder.

"Oh my." Spectra moaned in pain, and slowly picked herself up from the ground. "It would appear I struck a nerve. Surely you don't plan on keeping him all to yourself, do you?"

Ember growled and started to stalk towards the downed ghost, adjusting the dial on her bass. "Touch him, or this family again, and I will make sure you fade as slowly and painfully as possible."

"Now, now, miss McLain. You don't honestly think he could ever love you, do you? You, the family failure? Such a disappointment that your family let you burn so they could get you out of their lives." The rockstar paused mid-stride. She knew Spectra was just trying to incapacitate her, take her out of the fight and make a clean getaway, but Ember couldn't help the feeling of dejection and alienation she had felt when she was alive. Spectra licked her lips, tasting the misery that radiated through the air, and started towards the seemingly frozen rockstar.

Danny turned away from Bertrand, who was now in his human form, unconscious and bruised, and spotted Spectra slowly approaching Ember, who stood stock still, with a hungry grin on her face.

"Ember!"

The rockstar felt like a wave of cold water had washed over her, shocking her from her daze. Danny was screaming her name, running as fast as he could towards her, his hand outstretched and glowing purple. Ember focused her vision and saw Spectra approaching her with sharp black claws extending from her fingers. The diva reacted and and slammed hard on a deep chord, focusing all her core energy on her guitar. A massive wave of red fire sprang from the strings and collided with tremendous force into Spectra's body. The psychologist screamed in pain as the flames engulfed her form.

Danny slowed his approach and dropped his hand to his side, stunned at the amount of power Ember had demonstrated. As the flames died, the rockstar approached the burnt, yet still undead form of Penelope Spectra and placed a black combat boot on her chest. Ember growled and stared down at the psychologist with a murderous expression. "Stay. Away. From my friends."

At that moment Tucker trotted over, thermos in hand and an expression of awe on his face. He aimed the containment device at Spectra and a blue beam sucked her in before replacing the cap. The techno-geek turned to Ember with a grin. "That. Was. Awesome!"

"Tucker. I need you to run diagnostics on the proximity sensors and find out how these two got in without any of us knowing." The tech-wizard nodded, gave Ember one more grateful smile, and jogged off towards the mansion and the girls. Danny turned to the rockstar and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You alright? I know how Spectra can get in your head and feed you lies. If you need to talk, I'm right here."

Ember shook her head, her anger had dissipated but that feeling of loneliness and depression was still worming its way through her head. "I'm fine. How's babydip?"

The older halfa sighed and crossed his arms, scowling. "Terrified, most likely. I'm about to go check on her. See if I can calm her down."

The ghost diva nodded, staring off into space in a daze.

"Ember." The rockstar turned her gaze to Danny at the sound of his gentle tone. He smiled when she met his eyes. "Thank you for defending my family."

Ember almost fought the urge, but gave up and gave him a small smile. "You're welcome."

XXX

 **By far one of my favorite chapters to write. Hope this DannyXEmber interaction was palatable. I honestly love all the fics I've read that are DxE, and I'm happy to be writing one. Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. That's all for now. Until the next chapter, thank you my beautiful readers!**


	17. Ch 17: Family Night

**Ya'll got lucky I had a burst of inspiration. You get a chapter only a few days after the last one. Pat yourself on the back for how lucky you are right now. So yesterday I had to get a filling fixed and I couldn't feel half of my face for 4 hours and I had to go into work for a few hours during that time. That sucked. So, I worked on this chapter whilst waiting for my mouth to regain feeling. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed last chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I started and just couldn't stop. Prepare yourself for some more DxE interaction and awkwardness, hehe.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING pertaining to Danny Phantom, anything Butch Hartman, and anything to do with Corpse Bride (which plays a role in this chapter).**

XXX

Four days had passed since team Phantoms encounter with Spectra and her lap dog, Bertrand. Tucker went right along and checked the proximity sensors, like Danny had requested, and it turned out the sensory array had a very small gap in the arrangement. With the help of Sam and Danny, Tucker had spent the next day planting more sensors and ensuring the entire island was covered from end to end.

Ember had fully healed the day after the Spectra incident and, after much discussion between Team Phantom and a vote, had agreed to move into the mansion with Danny and his family. Sam was still wary of the Rockstar, and Ember could understand that. She had, after all, nearly killed the goth girl and Danny, had caused every male presence in Amity to vanish, and then enslaved Amity's adults in order to take over the world. For now, she would keep her head down and help in any way she could, and hopefully gain the goth's approval.

While Ember was still trying to adjust to her new living space and new...friends? No, acquaintances more like. While she was still trying to adjust to her new way of after-life, one thing was helping her get used to everything; Danielle. The Rockstar couldn't understand why, but from the moment they first met the babydip had taken a strong liking to Ember and tried to include her in everything the little halfa did. Whether it was exploring the island, practicing her powers, or coloring and playing with her toys, Danielle requested Ember join her...and the Rockstar had yet to say no to the littlest halfa.

Danny had kept an eye on his daughter whenever she was with Ember, usually enlisting the help of a double and going off to help Sam or Tucker with whatever they were working on. He had to admit, he was nervous about having the Rockstar around his family and especially his daughter. However, seeing the way Ember humored his daughter and pandered to whatever activity Danielle wanted to do, it lifted a weight from his shoulders and made him happy to see the littlest halfa with someone she could call a friend.

Danny grabbed a nearby wrench and checked the size before nodding his approval and tightening the bolt he'd been working on. "Alright Tuck, one more bolt after this one and we can start her up."

Tucker's eyes were gleaming, and a huge grin was threatening to split his face. "Sweet! Man, this is going to be the coolest project we've built yet."

Danny grinned as he tightened the final bolt. "You're telling me. It's too bad I couldn't get the original before we left, but with the tech and add-ons we're gonna add in she'll be bigger and badder." The halfa stood and wiped the sweat from his brow. He scanned the machine appraisingly, before nodding with approval and turning to his dark-skinned friend. "Alright, Tuck. let's fire her up."

Tucker bounced in place with an excited grin and pulled out his PDA. He plugged a cable into the engine and started typing in a series of commands. With his finger poised over the ignition command, the tech-wizard glanced up at Danny. After receiving an affirming nod, he tapped the command.

The engine sputtered for a few seconds before roaring to life and idling with a healthy purr. This was Danny's new project bike, something he took on with his extra time. The new bike would be much like his old one in terms of detailing, but with added bells and whistles necessary for navigating the Ghost Zone.

So far, the motorcycle, now deemed Phantom Rider, was a frame with and engine, fenders, and a gas tank. The add-ons would come later, including GZ navigation system, on-board defensive weapons, and a built in ecto-shield. The engine had been modified to run on a mixture of purified ectoplasm and water; an unusual combination, but the ectoplasm seemed to mix perfectly with mineral water and worked as a reliable energy source for the bike.

Tucker jumped in the air and whoop-ed, high-fiving Danny before wiping a mock tear from his eye. "It's beautiful."

"Easy, Tuck. The Rider isn't finished yet. Just wait until she is. This baby will make Johnny Thirteen cry from its awesomeness." Danny assured smugly, crossing his arms in proud determination.

"Hey, motorheads." The boys turned to see Sam walking down the basement stairs. "Dinner's almost ready. You two think you can leave the bike for a while and eat?"

Danny's eyes went wide and whipped his head around to look at the clock on the wall (another gift from Clockwork). "Holy crap, we've been at this almost the whole day. C'mon Tuck. Thanks for letting us know Sam."

The goth girl rolled her eyes but smiled. "Yeah, yeah. You better hurry before that bottomless pit you call a daughter eats everything. I swear that kid puts away her weight in food." Sam shook her head and started back up the stairs, the chuckling boys in tow.

"Must run in the family." Tucker commented, nudging Danny with his elbow. "Remember how Danny was when we were kids? Dude practically inhaled any food you set in front of him."

The halfa rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha, very funny. I was a kid and going through a growth spurt, remember? I'm gonna take this as a good sign that Danielle is growing up and healthy."

The group came up on the ground floor and headed into the kitchen where the littlest halfa was currently stationed at the kitchen island, digging into a burger and salad. Danielle looked up from her meal and smiled. "Hi daddy, hi uncle Tucker."

The boys smiled and returned the greeting before splitting off. Danny walked over and sat next to his daughter while Tucker made a beeline for the food on the counter. "Hey kiddo, how was your day?"

"It was great! Miss Ember watched a movie with me and we went for a walk around the island after lunch."

"Sounds like a good day, kiddo." Danny rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I lost track of the time today, baby girl. I would've joined you otherwise."

Danielle smiled and gave her father a quick hug. "It's okay, daddy. We can watch a movie tonight though, right?" She set her puppy dog pout on him, eyes wide and lower lip protruding.

"Grr! Sam, why did you have to teach her the pout?"

Sam just stuck her tongue out at him and grinned. Danny stuck his tongue out childishly and rolled his eyes before turning back to his daughter. "Of course, kiddo. We'll watch whatever movie you want." He caught a mischievous gleam in her eye and cut Danielle off before she could open her mouth. "And no scary movies." That earned him a pout and a sigh of defeat.

"Fine. Can miss Ember watch with us?"

"Sure thing, kiddo." Danny glanced around the kitchen before looking at Sam and Tucker. "Speaking of, where is Ember?"

Tucker shrugged, his mouth full of burger. Sam pointed to the spiral staircase that led to the second floor. "Pretty sure she's in her room."

"I'll go tell her dinner's ready." Danny stood and ruffled his daughter's hair. "Save me and Ember a burger, got it?"

Receiving a nod, Danny left the kitchen and headed towards the staircase.

XXX

Danny ventured down the hall and knocked on the nearest door. "Ember?"

A muffled shout came through the door. "Come in!"

The halfa opened the door and caught sight of the Rockstar sitting cross legged on her bed, leaning over a set of papers. She had her flaming hair pulled pack in a low ponytail and a pencil tucked behind her ear, clad in a pair of black sweats and a grey tank top and she was barefoot, her guitar settled in her lap with a pick in hand. Ember glanced at Danny before looking back at the papers. "Sup, dipstick?"

Danny shook his head but smiled. "Dinner's ready if you're hungry. Also, Danielle wants to know if you'll join us for movie night."

"Sure, sounds good. I'll be down in a few minutes." Ember affirmed. She took the pencil from behind her ear and erased something from the page in front of her and writing something else in its place.

Danny cocked his head and pulled up a chair. "Whatcha writing?"

Ember glanced at him again and felt her face flush slightly. "I'm working on a new song."

"Oh yeah? Can I hear some of it?"

"Um...not yet. It's, uh, not ready yet." The Rockstar muttered, gathering up the sheet notes and tucking them away in her nightstand.

Danny raised his eyebrow but nodded. "Oh...okay. Maybe when it's finished?"

"Yeah...maybe."

The two sat in an uncomfortable silence. Ember forced herself to relax and looked at Danny. He was looking to the side and seemed to be fidgeting nervously. "Uh, dipstick, are you alright?"

"What! Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Danny said hurriedly. He sighed before meeting her eyes. "Actually, I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"For what you did the other day...and for being good to Danielle. Other than my sister, who I actually haven't seen or talked to in months, Danielle is the only blood family I have left that I care about. I'm happy to see her making a friend. There's not a lot of ghost children in the Zone, and Young Blood is way too annoying." Ember smirked at his last comment, nodding her head in enthusiastic agreement.

"Well, she's a good kid. I haven't been a kid in a long time, so it's nice doing childish stuff." Ember admitted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I want to thank you too."

"For what?"

The Rockstar chuckled dryly. "Well, for starters, saving my ass after that mess with Skulker. And for patching me up and letting me stay here. I know we've had a... _rocky_ past, but I want to make up for all that. While I'm still the baddest rocker chick this side of the GZ, I'm not into all the evil stuff I used to do anymore."

Danny cocked his head and raised his eyebrow. "Why's that?"

Ember thought for a moment and started off slowly. "I think...I think Skulker was kind've the reason for most of it. He never really paid any attention to me, even when he wasn't hunting. A lot of my power comes from people paying attention to me and loving me. Needless to say, that tin-plated jackass gave me neither of those things." the Rockstar grumbled, glaring at the bedspread.

Danny reached over and laid a gentle hand on her knee. Ember looked up and saw him smile. "Well then he was a complete moron. You're Ember McLain! _The_ Ember McLain; badass Rockstar of the GZ. If you ask me, it was his loss."

The blue-skinned girl stared, wide-eyed at the halfa. "H-his loss?"

It was Danny's turn for his eyes to widen. He quickly retracted his hand and sat there, floundering for a response. "Well I just mean...he was an idiot for screwing up with someone as hot as you...Not hot as in _hot_ hot! I meant hot as in your hair hot, not like beautiful...not that you're not beautiful! Because you are! I mean...I'm gonna shut up now." He slapped a hand over his mouth and stared at her with wide eyes, bracing himself for a punch or a slap.

Ember stared at him in disbelief, her breath caught in her throat and her core seemed to pulsate quicker. "You...you think I'm...beautiful?"

Danny opened and closed his mouth a few times before hanging his head in defeat. He sighed deeply and glanced at Ember nervously. "I, um...yes. I do."

"Oh." For once, Ember was at a loss for words. No one ever told her she was beautiful, not even Skulker. Sure, Kitty would call her pretty and some of the male ghosts would call her 'hot', but no one actually said she was beautiful.

"Yeah…"

They sat in an awkward silence for a moment, avoiding eye contact. Danny finally cleared his throat and stood up. "Um, so...I'm gonna go eat. See you down there?"

Ember nodded. "Yeah, I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay." Danny turned and left, closing the door on his way out. Ember watched him leave before falling back onto the bed and breathing out a heavy sigh. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ _Is...is this what it feels like when someone actually..._ cares _about me?_

Danny walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the island and started in on his burger. A moment later Ember walked in and took the seat opposite him after grabbing her plate. The two glanced up at each other, blushing when their eyes met before looking back down at their meals.

Sam and Tucker, who had watched the interaction, exchanged looks of confusion before turning their attention back to the blushing teens. They glanced at Danielle and were even more confused when they saw a look of satisfaction on her face as she happily took another bite of her burger. The odd couple shared a similar thought as they turned back to their meals; _what the hell is going on?_

XXX

"Corpse Bride! Corpse Bride! Corpse Bride!"

"Danielle, would you sit still? I know you're excited, but the movie is about to start."

Danielle sighed but settled down in her father's lap. The team was situated on the large wrap around couch in front of the living rooms plasma screen. Sam and Tucker were curled up in the right-hand corner of the couch, the former's large, purple knit blanket covering both of them. Danny sat in the middle, per Danielle's request because it was the best spot to see the television, with the littlest halfa snuggled under her small, black and white blanket in her father's lap. Ember was positioned a foot away from Danny's left, her legs curled up beside her and covered with a blue blanket embroidered with blue and red flames.

The movie began with the team making cracks about the cheesy animation before they were aggressively silenced by a 'Shh' from Danielle. Danny smiled and hugged his little girl closer before sneaking a glance at Ember. The Rockstar was giving the movie her full attention, absorbing every scene like it was a work of art. The older halfa was glance at the Rockstar periodically as the movie went on, noticing small smiles and looks of longing at the cheesy romantic scenes.

Ember knew Danny kept glancing over at her...she knew because she had been doing the exact same thing to him. The Rockstar would blush every time she caught him with a small smile on his face when her would look at her. It came to a point in the movie where the main characters were playing piano in the underworld.

The corpse bride seemed to be angry at the main character, Victor, because he had lied to her. The bride, Emily, had started the scene playing the piano halfheartedly. Victor was trying to apologize for lying to Emily, but the bride ignored him, her hands still dancing across the keys. Eventually, Victor joins her and begins playing with her. They began a beautiful duet, their hands dancing in harmony with one another. The group laughed when Emily's skeletal left hand popped off and danced up Victor's arm.

Ember glanced over and froze when she met Danny's eyes.

" _Pardon my enthusiasm."_

Danny slowly stretched out his hand on the couch, offering it palm up. Ember gazed into his beautiful, baby blue eyes before slowly claiming his hand with hers.

" _I_ like _your enthusiasm._ "

Danny smiled, revealing two small dimples and a slight blush in his cheeks as the screen illuminated his face. Ember slowly returned the smile, curling her fingers through his as she felt her face grow hot.

Danielle peeked out the corner of her eye and grinned when she saw her father and Ember holding hands. _There you go, daddy. You and miss Ember deserve to be happy._ With that happy thought, the Rockstar and two halfas returned their attention to the movie, each presenting a small smile for different reasons.

Tucker glanced over at the others towards the end of the movie and what he saw made his eyes widen in shock; Danny and Ember...were holding hands! The tech wizard nudged his girlfriend and jerked his head towards the trio on the opposite side of the couch. Sam followed his action and stared at the scene before her with equally wide eyes. The couple glanced back at each other and again shared a recurring thought. _What the hell is going on?_

XXX

 **So? Whatcha think? Whatcha think? I tried to pace it out and make it more realistic. You can guess with the number of days that passed since the Spectra incident that Ember has had time to consider her feelings for Danny and has decided, after some gentle nudging, to embrace them. I'll leave the events of those days up to your imagination as I didn't want to cover all of that. So yeah, they are kinda sorta a thing at this point but nothing official yet. Next chapter will be the one you've all been waiting for.**

 **Also, I would really appreciate it if you guys and gals checked out my other story, Laughter. It was my first story and my first attempt at a fanfic. It's kinda like my baby and it hasn't been doing so well. I think it's pretty good, but then again, I'm biased. Anyway, check it out and let me know if you like it. Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	18. Ch 18: Coronation Day

**Time for some Review Response!**

 **Invader Johnny: I know exactly what you're talking about and honestly didn't think of it until you commented on it, lol. I just thought it fit with the story.**

 **Dalton Wolfe: Dude, I appreciate how long you've been with the story. You've been with us since the beginning and for that I tip my hat to you. I'm glad you're a fan of my little Dani. I love this little girl, lol.**

 **Kurogaya: Thank you for your kind reviews! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story so far!**

 **This chapter will end one of two ways: Either it will end up a filler/buildup chapter, or we'll see a glance of the ceremony. Not really sure yet so we'll see. Enjoy**

XXX

"Today's the day." Tucker informed the group, checking his PDA as he sat down at the kitchen island next to Sam.

Danny sighed as he leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Yeah. The ceremony is this evening."

"Are you ready?" Sam asked, her eyes full of concern. Danny shrugged and gave her a half-hearted smile.

"I don't really have a choice. The Zone needs a King."

"What's this about a King?" The trio turned to see Ember walking into the kitchen with groggy look, yawning as she took a seat at the kitchen island. The Rockstar was still in her sleepwear, consisting of a black tank top and black boy shorts, revealing her long, toned pale blue legs.

Danny groaned and smacked himself in the forehead. He looked at Sam and Tucker in disbelief. "Did we seriously forget to tell her?"

Sam crossed her arms and shot Danny a stern look. "We? This is your dilemma, ghost boy. _You_ forgot to tell her."

Tucker nodded in agreement, pointing a finger in Danny's direction with his eyes still fixed on the screen of his PDA. "Your job, your girl, your problem."

Danny huffed and crossed his arms. "Gee, thanks guys. Really feeling' the love over here." The older halfa turned to Ember, wincing at the curious and slightly annoyed look on her face. He ran a hand through his messy black hair and let out a deep sigh. "Right. Let me start by saying I'm sorry I didn't tell you yet. With the events of this past week I haven't exactly been very focused and actually kind've forgot about the whole thing."

"Quit stalling, dipstick." Ember admonished, rolling her eyes. "Just spit it out already. What's going on?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck and shifted nervously. "I'm kinda...next in line to be the King of the Ghost Zone."

Sam and Tucker looked up as the silence that followed Danny's admission droned on. Ember just stared, her expression blank, as she tried to figure out if the older halfa was taking her for a ride. The Rockstar glanced at Sam and Tucker, noticing there was no hint of humor or deceitfulness in any of their eyes. Ember returned her gaze to Danny and her eyes grew wide. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"I am. Clockwork, Master of Time, is coming later today to take us to the ceremony."

Ember stared at him in disbelief, before crossing her arms on the table and laying her head on top of them. She shook her head side to side, muttering to herself. "It's _way_ too early for this."

Before Danny could say any more, a raven-haired blur shot through the kitchen doorway and launched herself into his arms. Danielle looked up at her father with a huge smile, she was still clad in her black pajamas with monogrammed DP symbols scattered around on the fabric and her hair was in a loose ponytail. "Good morning, daddy! Happy birthday!"

Ember's head shot up and she regarded Danny with an exasperated look. " _And_ it's your birthday?" The Rockstar glared at the, now sheepish, older Phantom. "You and I need to have a talk about sharing important details."

"Heh, right. Sorry about that too." Danny looked down at his daughter and returned the hug. "Thanks, kiddo. How about we make some birthday breakfast for everyone?"

Danielle's eyes grew wide and she nodded her head enthusiastically. Danny chuckled and started walking towards the fridge with the little halfa still in his arms. "How does bacon, eggs, and green and blue waffles sound?"

"Don't forget the biscuits, daddy!"

"Right, we can't forget the biscuits." Danny pulled the items he listed from the fridge and walked over to the stove-top oven before setting his daughter on the counter. "Sam, Tuck, would you guys like to help the little Phantom and I?" The couple smiled and nodded, standing up and moving throughout the kitchen to grab bowls and spoons to stir the batter.

Danny glanced back at Ember as he set a pan with bacon on a lit burner. The Rockstar had had a small smile on her face as she watched Danny with his daughter. Ember couldn't help but feel more attracted to the older halfa when he interacted with Danielle. He never yelled at her, but he was firm and made sure she was punished appropriately when she did something she wasn't supposed to. Danny always made sure Danielle brushed her teeth and her hair, that she was in bed and asleep before nine p.m., and that she listened to her aunt and uncle. Ember could clearly see the pride the older halfa felt whenever he looked at his daughter. Danielle was Danny's whole world, and the Rockstar knew if anybody hurt his daughter that there would be hell to pay.

"Ember." The Rockstar shook herself from her thoughts and saw Danny smiling at her. "Would you like to help us with breakfast? The more help, the sooner we can eat."

Ember smiled and nodded, standing from the table, and earning a grin from the older halfa. Yeah, Danny was a good father. No doubt about that. The Rockstar had to admit; that just made him more attractive in her eyes.

XXX

The group, consisting of one ghost, two halfas and two humans, sat together on the living room couch. The eldest of the group were fidgeting nervously, glancing at the clock above the fireplace with obvious anxiousness. The five had spent the rest of the day preparing themselves for this evening and, much to Danny and Tucker's displeasure, the girls had convinced the boys that the group should be presentable for the ceremony. This means the girls had to find dresses, while the boys had to find tuxes.

Danny had decided, after much argument about dressing up, that he would attend the ceremony in his ghost half. Danny Phantom was sporting a pair of black slacks and tuxedo jacket, he wore a crisp white shirt with a silver vest and an ecto-green neck tie. The ensemble was completed with cufflinks to match the tie and shiny black dress shoes.

Tucker pouted and tugged at the collar of his shirt, clearly displeased with his attire. The tech-wizard was dressed in a tux similar to Danny's, with the exception that the vest, tie, and cufflinks were all a deep red in color. Tucker despised no being able to wear his cargos and a t-shirt, and only agreed to dress up in order to avoid the wrath of his girlfriend.

Ember took this situation as a chance to bond with Sam. Despite only making a connection through clothing, it would open a door of opportunity to put the goth girls mind at ease and hopefully form a friendship between the two used-to-be enemies. Ember was actually very surprised and slightly impressed that Sam possessed a very good sense of fashion. The goth was pulling off a beautiful, plum colored, short sleeve dress that accentuated her feminine curves without being immodest, with a pair of simple, black dress flats adorning her feet. Her raven hair, which had grown out to the small of her back was twisted into a perfect braid and adorned with black and silver pins, stuck in the junctions of the braid.

Ember had taken her Rockstar role to an appropriate level and was dressed in a black, form fitting keyhole halter top tucked in a deep blue flocked dress that flared out at her hips and stopped mid-calf. The rockstar's feet were also adorned with a pair of black dress flats, though her jewelry consisted of her silver skull earrings and silver necklace with a green gemstone hanging from the chain. Ember's ensemble earned the Rockstar appreciative looks and sneaking glances from Danny, causing her to blush way more than she was used to.

The youngest of the group was the only person who exhibited any amount of excitement in dressing up. Danielle was currently spinning in the middle of the room, much to the amusement of the rest of the group, giggling as her black and silver dress flared out from the momentum. The littlest halfa was currently in her ghost form as well, her snow-white hair was done in a braid very similar to Sam's, with the exception of having the braid lay over the front of her shoulder instead of down her back.

Sam sighed as she watched Danny pace nervously in front of the fireplace. "Danny, if you keep pacing like that, you're going to wear a groove into the carpet."

Danny continued his patrol, seemingly unaware of his friend talking to him. The Phantom looked up and paused when he noticed everyone staring at him with a mixture of amusement and concern. "What?"

Tucker laughed and slipped his hand into Sam's. "Dude, you gotta relax. You're gonna worry yourself to death." Sam flicked him in the ear at his lame attempt at humor.

"The tech-geek is right, baby-pop." Ember agreed, smirking when Danny's cheeks blushed at her use of the affectionate moniker. "Danny, everything is going to be fine. The ceremony will be over before you know it."

Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled at Ember before he sat down on the couch next to her. "Sorry. I'm a naturally anxious person, but can you blame me? I'm about to become king of the freaking Ghost Zone, for crying out loud." The Phantom exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air, and slumping further into the couch.

Ember sighed and scooted closer to Danny. The halfa leaned over to rest his head on her shoulder and she started running her fingers through his snowy hair, an action she was learning very quickly that seemed to calm him down. "I think we can all agree that it's not going to be easy, but you've got friends and family that will be helping you all the way. Hell, you've even got me to back you up." Ember adopted a regal pose and stuck her nose in the air, much to Danny's amusement. "If anything, that alone should warrant me becoming Queen of the Ghost Zone."

"Ha! Told ya, Tick-Tock. You owe me a batch of those cookies."

The group jumped from the couch and spun around to find a smirking Time Master and a smug looking Grim Reaper. Clockwork chuckled seeing the looks of mild annoyance and surprise on the groups faces. The Time Master surveyed the ensemble before him, smiling warmly and nodding in greeting. "I see we will have more in attendance than we had anticipated my old friend."

Death regarded Clockwork with a genuinely surprised look. "Are you saying the great 'Clockwork, Master of Time' and 'Seer of All', didn't see this coming?"

"Of course, I did. That was merely an attempt at being humble."

Everyone laughed while Grim pouted playfully. Danny approached the ancient Masters and shook both of their hands with a smile on his face. "It's good to see you both again. Thank you for transporting us."

Death shrugged with a seemingly indifferent expression. "Just because we're Masters doesn't mean we'll leave the new King high and dry."

Clockwork shot Death and annoyed look and turned to the group. "You will have to excuse my old friend. He is rather lacking when it comes to social interactions. For those who are unaware, I am Clockwork, Master of Time. This pile of bones next to me is Grim, Master of Death."

Danny rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He reached down and gently pulled Danielle, who had been clutching his leg and hiding shyly behind him, to stand in front of him and placing his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. "This is my daughter, Danielle. Can you say 'hi', kiddo?"

Danielle gazed up at the imposing Masters with a shy smile. "Hi."

Clockwork smiled warmly as he shifted into his toddler form. "Hello, Danielle. It is very nice to meet you. You look very much like your father." Danielle adopted a proud look and smiled just a bit wider at that.

Grim leaned down and reached out a bony hand with as friendly a smile a ghoulish face could produce and greeted the little halfa. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, 'Princess' Danielle."

The little Phantom's eyes widened, and excitement overtook her. Danielle looked up at her father and gave him a wide smile. "Daddy, I'm gonna be a princess?"

"Well, you're already my princess, but yes. You're going to be princess of the Ghost Zone."

Danielle stood in a shocked daze, eyes wide with a smile to match. "Wow…"

Ember stepped forward and slipped her hand around Danny's arm. Danny smiled at her and presented her to the Masters. "Clockwork, Grim. This is Ember McLain."

Both Masters brows shot up in mild surprise, their faces adorned with knowing smirks. They greeted the Rockstar amicably, the three trading handshakes and warm smiles.

Clockwork surveyed the group once more, noting the expressions of nervousness. "Now that we are all acquainted, is everyone ready to go?"

The group glanced at one another, nodding in silent agreement before Danny turned back to Clockwork, pick his daughter up, and took hold of Ember's hand. "We're ready."

With a nod of approval, the two Masters summoned their weapons and formed a large, blue swirling portal. Grim turned to the group and gestured towards the portal. "King to be and family, right through here is you will."

Sam and Tucker walked towards the portal, hand in hand, and jumped into the swirling mass. Danny, Ember, and Danielle approached next. Danny hugged his daughter close and gave the nervous Ember's hand a comforting squeeze before the three jumped through the portal as one.

Grim turned to Clockwork and gave him a genuine smile. "I really think he was the perfect choice for this. With the amount of compassion and the company he keeps; he is more than worthy for this position."

"I agree, my old friend. Daniel Phantom will make a great King, a good father," Clockwork smirked. "And a loving husband."

Grim chuckled as he walked into the portal with the Time Master. "I almost feel sorry for the punk."

And with that, the swirling portal shrank into nothing. In some ways you could say one door had been closed in Danny Phantom's life, only for a new one to be opened. Gone were the days of risking his life pointlessly for a town that had, at one point, vilified the halfa. Gone were the days of constantly trying to protect his identity and risk being captured by his psychotic, ghost hunter parents. Danny Phantom had a new family; two best friends he considered his brother and sisters, a beautiful daughter who could melt his icy core with a single look, and a fiery blue-haired Rockstar, to whom he had admitted feelings for and had happily received in return. Gone were the days of Danny Fenton. Coming were the days of Danny Phantom, King of the Ghost Zone.

XXX

 **More of a filler or a buildup than anything, this chapter. I'm at an impasse; I'm not sure if I want to do a short chapter dedicated to the actual ceremony, or do a time jump and write a chapter focusing on Jazz finding Danny a few months later and joining the team again. Either way, both chapters may end up slightly shorter than usual. So, let's do a vote.**

 **For a ceremony chapter, comment KingDanny**

 **For time jump and Jazz chapter, comment AllThatJazz**

 **Hope you all liked the chapter. Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	19. Ch 19: Who Said Redheads are Crazy?

**Okee, I can see the votes are pretty evenly balanced, so I'll do a combo chapter and mix a Danny/Jazz chapter. One reviewer, SweetRose17, had a suggestion which peaked my interest. A Jazz-centric chapter, with flashbacks pertaining to Danny's ceremony, which I will either do this chapter or the next depending on where this chapter goes. I commend you, SweetRose, for your excellent suggestion, and thank you for your review.**

 **Now for some Review Response!:**

 **Invader Johnny: Thank you for messaging me and putting my mind at ease when I was having an issue with reading my reviews. I imagine you'd be amused to hear that the issue was resolved the same day. As for the King thing going to Danny's head, that line in the last chapter was said more in exasperation than a swelled head. I promise Danny will not be a high and mighty ponce, looking down on lesser ghosts. I want him to be a kind-hearted leader, with a firm but fair attitude towards his subjects.**

 **Linkmaster500: Occasionally I may update 2 to 3 chapters within a day or two of each other, this is merely a result of spontaneous bouts of inspiration and an eagerness to deliver my much-enjoyed work towards my beautiful readers.**

 **As for the rest of you, thank you for participating in the vote and for your clear enjoyment of my story. It has been so much fun writing this and posting it for you fine folks to enjoy. I have plans, whenever this story is over and depending on how it ends, for a possible sequel. Though I cannot make any promises at this time. Enjoy and thank you, my beautiful readers!**

 **XXX**

 _Two Months Later…_

"Mads, I think she's ready!" Jack Fenton boomed in his over excited fashion, removing his welding mask, and cutting off the flame on the welding torch.

Maddie Fenton set down her soldering iron and examined the piece of ghost hunting tech she had been wiring. With a nod of satisfaction, the Fenton matriarch lowered her hood and turned to her husband. "Perfect timing, hun. I just put the finishing touches on the Ectoplasmic Bio-Tracer!" Maddie scooped up the piece of Fenton Tech before she approached her husband and the Spectre Speeder 2.0.

Jack grinned as Maddie handed him the piece of tech, before walking into the cockpit of the Speeder, and began installing the Bio-Tracer into the dash. "Excellent work, Mads! Once this baby's all hooked up, we can stock up on some supplies...and find that Phantom bastard." Jack finished in a growl, plugging in a few wires.

Maddie laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll find him and bring our son home."

"Mom? Dad? You guys down there?"

Jack and Maddie shared a look before the Fenton matriarch called back. "Down here, sweetie!"

A moment later, the Fenton parents listened as Jazz began descending the corrugated steel stairs. The redheaded girl paused when she reached the basement floor, a flash of concern for Danny crossing her face as she watched her parents put the finishing touches on the new Spectre Speeder. Three months had passed since Danny had ran away, and two months since her parents had started building the new Speeder.

In all that time, Jazz hadn't heard a word form Danny, or Sam and Tucker, which told her those two had left with him. The redhead had smirked and had to reprimand herself for her thick-headedness. Of course, Sam and Tucker would be with Danny. Those two would follow him to the ends of the Earth, and they had several times, if their encounters with some of the GZ's big and bad were any indication. Not to mention, Danny's showdown with Pariah Dark. Jazz shuddered at the thought of her little brother facing off against that tyrannical mad man.

The only indication the redhead had gotten that Danny was ok, was a small wrist watch that seemed to glow at time with a white aura. The clock face was rather simple, the background being all black with white roman numerals for the three, six, nine and twelve. The hands glowed a neon green and the strap was made of a black-stained leather. This wasn't what caught her eye though. No, it was the glowing green 'D' with the inverted 'P' that stood out in the center of the clock face. A clear sign that it was a message from Danny, letting her know he was ok. This gave Jazz hope that she would see her little brother again and made her more determined to find him.

Jazz schooled her expression before she approached her parents with a look of faux curiosity. "Wow, you guys. The new Speeder looks remarkable!"

Jack gave Jazz a huge grin and swung his arm around her shoulders, sweeping his other arm towards the Speeder. "Thanks, Jazz-pants! I present to you the Spectre Speeder 2.0: The latest and greatest in Fenton Works Technology! It's got all the bells and whistles the old Speeder had, and more. A built in Ghost Zone navigational system sends out sonar waves for miles, enabling us to map out the Ghost Zone as we fly. We were able to install the old Ecto-Converter, so this bad boy will be able to draw in raw ectoplasm from the Ghost Zone's atmosphere and re-constitute it into a reliable source of energy. I just finished installing a new piece of Fenton tech your mother built. The Ectoplasmic Bio-Tracer works similarly to the Boomerang, except this tech works with the on-board navigation. It's more reliable and easier to track."

Jazz froze at her father's words. "Trace for...what, exactly?"

Maddie turned to her daughter with a forced smile. "Why, to find Danny, of course. That Phantom has gotten away with too much for too long. Taking Danny was the final straw." Maddie mistook Jazz's sudden look of fear and laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder consolingly. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll find Danny and bring him home."

 _That's what I'm afraid of._ Jazz gave her mother a tremulous smile. "I know mom. When are you guys leaving?"

Jack approached his mini-fridge, stuffed with fudge, as he spoke. "Hopefully tomorrow afternoon. It'll take us some time to gather enough ectoplasm for the start-up sequence, and we'll need to pack supplies. Odds are, we'll be in there for days looking for Danny." The towering man grinned in delight before popping a small square of his favorite treat into his mouth.

"...Could I come with you?"

Maddie smiled sadly and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jazzy. I promise we'll find Danny, but I think it would be best if you stayed here."

Jazz had a feeling her mother would say that, but she figured it was worth a shot. "Okay, mom. I understand." The redhead smiled to her mother before turning to leave. "I'm going to my room to get a head start on next semester. Can't afford to fall behind now while I'm ahead."

"Okay, sweetie! Your father and I will be down here for most of the night. If you get hungry, just order a pizza, my wallet is on the counter."

Jazz waved in response as she climbed the stairs, half listening as she was already deep in thought. _Don't worry, Danny. I've got a way to get to you now...I won't let mom and dad get anywhere near you._

XXX

It was nearing almost three in the morning when Jack and Maddie had finally retired for the night, leaving the basement lab open. As the door to their bedroom clicked shut, another door was quietly creaking open.

Jazz stuck her head out into the hallway and listened to the sound of a bed creaking as Jack settled in for the rest of the night. The redhead ducked back into her room and checked her backpack one last time, ensuring she had everything she'd need for her trip into the Ghost Zone. That's right, Jazz wasn't going to let her fanatic ghost hunter parents find, and possibly destroy, her brother. She would take the Spectre Speeder and find Danny on her own.

After waiting a few more minutes to ensure her parents would be asleep, Jazz grabbed her pack and crept into the hall, and slowly made her way down both sets of stairs and into the basement lab. The Speeder sat motionless in front of the Ghost Portal, which was secured with the yellow and black striped blast doors. Jazz crossed the room and entered the Speeder, setting her pack in the co-pilot seat before taking her place at the helm. After entering a few commands, she pressed the ignition button and the Speeder hummed to life. Jazz thanked whoever was listening that the built in Ecto Converter didn't produce as much noise as a standard combustion engine.

Now came the point of no return. Once that portal opened, it was likely that Jazz wouldn't be coming back any time soon. The redhead shook away her hesitation and squared her shoulders, a gleam of determination evident in her turquoise-colored eyes. Jazz raised her hand to the blast door release switch, only to be startled by the shocked shout of her mother. "Jazz! What are you doing?"

Jazz at her mother through the cockpit window. "I'm going to find Danny, to make sure you stay the hell away from him!" The redhead shouted before flicking the switch and slamming the throttle. The blast doors separated on their hydraulic slides, revealing the swirling green mass of the portal. Less than a moment later the Speeder shot through the swirling mass, into the Ghost Zone, and on her way to finding her little brothers. _I'm coming, Danny._

XXX

Danny gazed out at his island from the balcony of his newly added third-floor. The new floor was deemed the 'Throne Room', though part of the new addition housed a war-room and a control center for the Island's defenses per Tucker's insistence. It had been two months since his coronation, and so far, life had been good. His daughter was crowned as a princess the day after the ceremony, much to the little Phantom's delight. The little ball of energy took it upon herself to wear her tiara at least once a day, much to everyone's amusement.

In those two months, Danny and Ember took the time to sit down, after much prodding from his daughter, and further discuss their feelings for one another. The two were now officially a couple, and Danny couldn't be happier.

Danny had found out a lot about the resident Rockstar in that time. Ember, though a bit rough around the edges, was in truth a very warm and, at times, caring person. She loved music, which came as no surprise, and enjoyed movies immensely, especially the horror genre. The new couple had spent many a night, snuggled together, enjoying Danny's collection of horror movies. Admittedly, the elder Phantom's attraction for Ember lay not only in her looks or her capacity for kindness, it was her confidence and her power that drew Danny toward the Rockstar. The real clencher though, was the way Ember interacted with Danielle. Those two were nigh inseparable. The Rockstar would never admit it to anyone but Danny, but she loved the little Phantom and would do anything for her.

Sam and Tucker were almost immediately made Royal Advisors, and assisted Danny in any and all problems the Ghost Zone might have. Whether it be an attack from a foreign enemy, or a problem among the subjects of the GZ, the two helped to organize and inform Danny of the goings on.

Another event that took place only a few days after the ceremony, was the appearance of several hundreds of small islands around Phantom Island. The group were immediately put on edge, having never witnessed an occurrence as strange as this, only to be quickly put at ease per a visit from Clockwork. The Time Master explained that, not that Danny was King, his lair would act as a beacon of sorts and many lairs of ghosts in the GZ would begin to accumulate near the island. He also informed them, should Danny accept, that the island lairs could be joined together to form a community. The group were amazed with this information and Danny took the initiative and allowed the islands to come together.

The floating expanses of rock and grass molded together by his command, attaching seamlessly, and forming an expanse of land stretching for miles in all directions, with Phantom Mansion set in the middle.

As Danny gazed out at his kingdom, he couldn't help the swell of pride he felt at all that he accomplished and what he had gained in his four years of being Danny Phantom. Houses dotted the landscape on all directions, buildings towering just behind them. Though a lot of homes and businesses were still under construction, it was much more advanced than the Ghost Zone had been in a long time.

"Hey, babypop."

Danny shook himself from his musings and turned to find his flaming-haired girlfriend leaning against the doorway with a playful smirk. The older halfa smiled in turn. "Hey."

Ember's smile turned genuine as she pushed off from the doorframe and came to stand beside Danny, his arm circling her waist as she spoke. "Dinner's almost ready. What are you doing out here?"

Danny looked out at his slowly forming kingdom and smiled just a bit wider. "Just...reflecting on how I got here...what I went through to get where I am."

"Well that can't be right." Danny glanced at her in confusion. Ember smirked playfully as she snuggled into his side. "Reflecting requires conscious thought, and _that_ requires the ability to use your brain."

"Are you implying that I'm brainless?"

"No... not implying." Ember grinned at Danny's mock pout.

"My own girlfriend claims me to be empty-minded!" Ember rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's over-dramatics. The Rockstar flicked Danny's forehead, prompting the halfa's pout to return. The two turned their attention to the swirling expanse of the Ghost Zone and fell into a comfortable silence, wrapped around each other in a warm embrace.

"I love watching the Zone sky." Ember confessed, breaking the silence. "The greens and the purples just swirling around in some kind of...chaotic limbo. Sometimes, when I would get really angry, I would just stare off into the sky to help me calm down."

Danny chuckled softly and gave his girlfriend a gentle squeeze. "I didn't know miss Ember could be so philosophical."

Ember gave his arm a playful smack. "Funny, I didn't think you knew the word 'philosophical'." The Rockstar felt a tremor run through Danny's chest as he laughed, evoking a hum of contentment from her.

Ember, still wrapped in his arms, turned so she was facing Danny. The Rockstar gazed up into his eyes, her lips pulled up in a small smile. Danny returned her gaze, soaking in every detail of her face. The glowing green of her eyes, the pale blue of her full lips, and the faint darker-than-normal blue blush staining her cheeks. Sure, the Rockstar could be a little rough around the edges, and she had a real knack for pushing his buttons, but he couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

The ghostly couple leaned in as one and their lips met, the kiss tender but full of passion. The two separated after a moment, breathless and their faces burning. Danny smiled down at his girlfriend. "Ember, I-"

"Danny!"

Phantom growled when he heard Tuckers shout through his in-ear Phantom Phone. Danny pressed a finger to the receiver and barked into the phone. "This had better be good, Tuck!"

Tucker ignored his friends irate tone and got straight to business. "Sorry, man, but we've got incoming."

Danny's eyes widened, prompting a concerned look from Ember. "How many?" The Rockstar's expression darkened, her hair growing in intensity and her guitar appearing in her hands in a flash of flames.

"Just one, but it's big...and moving fast."

"Shit...where's it coming from?"

"South of the Island...ETA is five minutes. Want me to throw the shields to max?"

Danny pondered for a moment but shook his head. "No, we haven't had the time to set up a larger perimeter, so we've only got the Mansion covered. If this thing is and enemy, it could attack the rest of the island. I'll meet this thing head-on."

"Sounds good, man. I've got some of Dora's support troops on standby just in case. Give it hell. Tech-Wizard out."

The transmission cut out and Danny set his sights Southward, using his enhanced vision to scout for the possible threat. "You coming, or staying here?"

Ember cocked an eyebrow and gave her boyfriend a flat look. "You're an idiot if you think I'm staying behind while you go do your 'saving people thing'."

Danny chuckled before willing his famed rings to appear, flashing over his body to transform into Phantom. He held his hand out to Ember and smirked. "Well then, let's go do my 'save people thing'."

Ember rolled her eyes, smirking as she grabbed Danny's hand, and together they took flight toward the southern part of the Island.

XXX

Jazz could feel her excitement growing as she followed the Boomerang deeper into the Ghost Zone. The poorly named piece of Fenton Tech had led her through the Zone for almost two hours now, dodging the purple floating doors and island lairs of known, and unknown, ghosts. From the way the Boomerang seemed to be gradually slowing, it was a clear indicator to the redhead that she was getting closer to being reunited with her brother.

The decision to drop everything to find her brother wasn't an easy one to come to. It wasn't exactly simple to just leave her parents and her college life behind...but Danny was more important than that. When he was born, Jazz swore she would protect Danny and be there for him for as long as possible, and she wasn't about to back out on that promise now. Would she miss her chance to become the psychologist so had so desperately wanted to be? Most likely. Did she care? A little, but Danny was her top priority.

Speaking of which, the Boomerang had slowed considerably, and Jazz was coming up on the largest island she had seen in the Ghost Zone so far. From this distance she estimated it stretched at least five miles in both directions. As the redhead grew closer to the island, she could see dozens of houses, both complete and half-built, dotting the clearer valleys and meadows. What really drew her attention was the largest building on the island. An all-black, three-story mansion, white and silver trim accenting the brickwork. Jazz couldn't help but grin at her brother's ostentatiousness, as this was clearly Danny's home.

Jazz continued her flight path, coming within a mile of the island in no more than ten minutes, her excitement peaking the closer she got to the island. It wasn't long before she saw two figures approaching the Speeder. The one on the left was a blue-skinned figure, who seemed to be on fire. The one on the right was what caught her attention. If the white hair, and the black and white attire was anything to go by, Jazz would recognize her little brother anywhere. Though the first figure-who Jazz realized was a girl-nagged at her thoughts, the redhead pushed those aside as Danny pulled up right in front of the cockpit.

Phantom's hand was pointed at the Speeder, palm glowing green. Ember had her hand cocked over the strings of her guitar, poised to strike. Jazz waved frantically, catching her brother's attention almost immediately. The redhead almost burst out laughing at the dumbfounded expression on Danny's face.

"JAZZ?!"

The redhead smiled, tears beginning to sting her eyes and she pulled the Speeder to a stop, popped open the cockpit, and threw her arms around Danny's neck. The tears broke free and trailed silently down her cheeks. Danny shook himself from his shock and returned his sister's hug, pouring how much he missed her in the year that he hadn't seen his sister. Jazz sniffled into his shoulder and smiled blearily. "Hey little brother."

XXX

 **Cue the waterworks people, shit just got emotional. So, when I started writing this chapter, I intended to have Jazz show up much earlier and then put in a flashback to the ceremony, but a quarter of the way through I took a different approach for the reunion between brother and sister. So, I figure next I'll touch down on some of the ceremony details and possibly do a short flashback.**

 **Once again, I'd like to thank SweetRose17 for the flashback idea.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all are okay with where Ember and Danny are at this point. I figured, since I did a time skip, they would have explored and built up their relationship by now. Also, if you hadn't fully realized, there had been a third floor added to Phantom Mansion. Officially it's been called the Throne Room, but it's more of a base of operations for team Phantom and any ghostly advisors. Island lairs have joined onto Phantom Island to form one large island. This will now be home to hundreds of ghosts and possibly more and more. I want to work on developing a city. Complete with businesses, stores, attractions, and homes.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	20. Ch 20: Of Redheads and Phantoms

**Okay, ghouls and gals, here comes the reaction chapter. I'm sure some, if not most, of you are eager to see our spastic redhead's reaction to everything the Phantoms have gone through so far.**

 **Review Response:**

 **SweetRose17: You're welcome for the mention, and yeah, it probably does feel a little weird. I've never been mentioned before either, so I can only imagine.**

 **Linkmaster500: Yeah, relationship buildups can be entertaining when that's the focal point of the story, but Dead Rule isn't solely revolving around their relationship. It's about Danny becoming King, building a family and a kingdom, and facing challenges later down the road. Glad you're enjoying the story!**

 **Alright, ya'll! Enjoy!**

XXX

Jazz slumped back in her chair and stared at her brother in shocked silence. She had to be dreaming, she just had to be. Danny tried not to fidget as the silence dragged on, his sister's eyes still locked on him and her jaw slack.

"So, let me see if I've got this right," Jazz started slowly. "First, you find out Danielle is your daughter. Then you take her to this 'Frostbite', who uses your 'mid-morph' DNA to fix her destabilization problem permanently, which makes her revert from a twelve-year-old to a five-year-old. Then, you find out you're next in line to become King of the Ghost Zone, which you are now officially as of two months ago. Finally, and most shockingly, you're dating Ember McLain."

The aforementioned Rockstar was lounging in a chair next to Danny, smirking and lazily tuning her guitar. Ember nudged her boyfriend's arm with her boot. "Told ya your story sounds crazy."

Danny sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not helping, Angel." Ember just shrugged, her smirk turning into a full-blown grin. Danny rolled his eyes, fighting the smirk and turning back to Jazz. The redhead looked bewildered at the couples little back and forth as reality seemed to finally strike her. Danny sighed and gazed at his sister earnestly. "It's all true, Jazz. You can't make stuff like this up."

Jazz shook her head and stared off into space. "No... you really can't." The redhead refocused on her brother, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Can I see my niece?"

Danny grinned and nodded. "Of course. I've wanted you to meet her for a while."

Ember glanced up at her boyfriend. "Want me to go grab her, babypop?"

"No need."

"Why's that?" Ember asked, her brow scrunched in confusion.

"Because…" Danny stood and walked to the door of the room. "Little Phantom's been eavesdropping for most of our conversation." The older halfa twisted the knob and opened the door to find a sheepish looking Danielle, smiling and trying to up her cuteness factor to avoid being reprimanded.

"Hi, Daddy."

Danny smiled as he bent down to pick up his daughter, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. The older Phantom walked over to his sister and began introductions. "Jazz, this is Danielle. Kiddo, meet my sister, and your real aunt, Jazz."

Danielle's eyes went wide, and her head whipped back and forth between her father and her aunt, her excitement steadily growing. "Is it...are you really...is she…?" Jazz and Danny couldn't help but laugh.

Jazz calmed her laughter and beamed at the adorable little raven-haired girl currently cradled in her brother's arms. "Hi, Danielle. It's nice to finally meet you."

The little halfa smiled shyly at her aunt as she clung to Danny. "Hi."

Ember smiled before extracting herself from her chair and approaching the small family. "No need to be shy, babydip. She's your aunt, kinda like aunty Sam."

Jazz cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Danny. "Babydip?"

Danny shot the smirking Ember a playful glare, before sighing in exasperation. "The resident hothead here, seems to enjoy calling me 'babypop' or 'dipstick' half of the time, so she's taken it upon herself to combine the two as a nickname for Danielle."

Ember smirked and stood on her toes to kiss Danny's cheek. "You like my nicknames for you two, don't deny it. Anyway, I'm going to get something to eat. But first," the Rockstar turned to Jazz, her smirk replaced with a determined and solemn expression. "I want to apologize for all the evil stuff I did in the past, especially towards you and Danny. Since this handsome hunk of ghost saved my afterlife I've been turning over a new leaf. Now that me and Danny are together, I don't want any bad blood between you and I."

Jazz was shocked, more so than after Danny explained what had been going on in the past few months. Ember McLain had just apologized. If it weren't for Danny's loving look of pride, which was directed towards the Rockstar, Jazz would have thought it was all a big joke. The redhead gave Ember a tentative smile. "I'll be honest, I would never have thought I would see you and my brother...together. But, I can see how much you two care for each other, and I can tell you're being truthful. I accept your apology...although, it may take a while for me to get used to the idea of you as my brother's girlfriend."

Ember smiled and did something that surprised even Danny. The Rockstar threw her arms around Jazz in a quick hug. Jazz was sure she would have a stroke from all the life-altering revelations she had received in the last half hour. Ember straightened and schooled her demeanor, adopting her punk rock side. "Right. So... yeah." The Rockstar gave Danny one more kiss on the cheek and smiled at Danielle. "Wanna go get a snack, babydip?"

Danielle nodded and jumped into Ember's waiting arms. The little halfa turned to look at her aunt with a small smile. "It was nice to meet you, aunty Jazz."

"It was nice to meet you too, munchkin." Jazz responded, poking Danielle's side, making the little halfa shriek and burst into a round of giggles.

"Bye, daddy! Bye, aunty Jazz!" Danielle called out once she positioned herself on Ember's shoulders, and the two disappeared through the door.

Jazz couldn't help the loving smile that appeared on her face as her new-found niece called out to the redhead. "I can't believe she's your daughter, little brother."

Danny cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "And why is that?"

Jazz's smile grew into a devious smirk. "You weren't nearly as cute at that age."

"Hey!"

XXX

As the day drew to a close, the team, minus Danielle, could be found gathered around the kitchen island. Sam and Tucker were bickering back and forth like couples do about anything and everything, while Danny and Ember were chatting with Jazz. The newly-named 'Royal Couple' were taking the time to explain everything to the redhead, ensuring she understood what all had transpired in the last few months since Danny's departure into the Ghost Zone.

"So, Jazz, not that I'm not thrilled to see you again, but what the hell are you doing here?" Danny finally asked, the question had been niggling in his head since his sister had made her appearance in the new Speeder.

Jazz's face darkened, and a dangerous gleam entered her eyes. "Our _parents_ told me you had been overshadowed by 'Phantom', and that he had kidnapped you. They spent the last couple months building a new Spectre Speeder after the old one 'mysteriously disappeared'." The redhead shot an accusatory glance at Sam and Tucker, who grinned mischievously.

"Anyway, when I found out I knew, of course, that that wasn't the case at all. I figured there would only be a few reasons to why you would run away; either Vlad was back, or Jack and Maddie had tried to 'rip you apart, molecule by molecule'." Jazz gave a dejected sigh and leaned against the island countertop heavily. "But, when I found out neither Sam or Tucker were answering their phones and weren't home, it only made sense that it was the latter."

Danny looked defeated and slumped back in his seat with a dark look. Ember leaned over and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's arm and kissed his cheek in an attempt to comfort him. With a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Danny returned the gesture with a silent thanks. The older Phantom turned to his sister and gave her a half-hearted smile. "While I'm slightly depressed that our parents decided to remain blinded by their prejudices, I don't regret what happened. Because they decided to drive me away, I lost my parents, but I found something better; a family of my own. A daughter I could only dream of having, a beautiful girlfriend and, while I'm not exactly ecstatic about it, I'm King of the GZ. It could have been a lot worse."

Ember and Sam cried out in unison. "Don't say that!"

Danny whipped his head between the two girls with a startled expression. "What?"

Sam sighed and looked at Ember pointedly, prompting the Rockstar to smack her boyfriend's arm. "Every time you say those seven words, something bad happens. You had better knock on some wood, right now."

Danny rolled his eyes and rapped his fist on the countertop and looked between the two girls in annoyance. "Happy?" Sam and Ember nodded with looks of satisfaction. Jazz had to fight the smirk creeping on her face and the urge to laugh as her brother got reprimanded by his girlfriend and one of his best friends.

Tucker was grinning smugly, obviously happy that he wasn't the one getting told off for once. However, that wouldn't last long as the Tech-Wizard couldn't help but put in his two cents and made a whip-cracking motion complete with sound effects. This prompted Sam to smack the back of her boyfriend's head, knocking his beret loose. Tucker pouted and rubbed the sore spot as everyone burst out laughing.

Jazz sobered and laid a hand on Danny's shoulder, getting his attention. "I'm so sorry for what happened, Danny. I should've realized this would happen eventually, and I just wish I had been there to defend you."

Danny waved her off and smiled appreciatively. "Jazz, don't worry about it. What's done is done. They could've been here, met their granddaughter, and we could have been a big happy family. It's their fault and no one else's."

Jazz returned the smile and pat her brother's hand. "I'm glad you have such an upbeat attitude about all this. And, since I'm basically disowning them as our parents, just as you have, then you'll have no problem with me staying here with all of you."

"W-what? Jazz, no. You've got a life to live, you have a career opportunity and college. You can't leave that behind."

"Who says I can't? The people I consider family are all here in this room, I have an adorable niece who I can't wait to spend more time with, and if Sam and Tucker can stay then so can I. Besides, maybe I can help you with building this new Capital you three have been going on about. Maybe help construct some educational institutions and give my input where it would be appreciated."

Danny couldn't help but imitate a goldfish as he tried to come up with some kind of justifiable reason Jazz shouldn't stay. Sam shot Ember a pointed look, and the Rockstar clapped her hand over Danny's mouth before the goth started to talk. "Danny, I think having Jazz here would be a good thing. We'll need people who can help us build a proper society, and Jazz would be a valuable asset in regard to education. Besides that, she's also your sister and Danielle's aunt."

"This is my decision, little brother. I haven't seen you in almost a year since I left for college, and Jack and Maddie's actions against you, due to their blind hatred for ghosts, are just a couple of reasons of why I want to stay."

Danny sighed and nodded. Ember removed her hand, so her boyfriend could speak. "Fine. Don't think I don't want you here, Jazz. I just don't want you to throw your life away just because I was chased from our home."

Jazz smiled and hugged her brother. "Noble as always. I get it, Danny, but this is my decision and I want to be here."

Danny glanced around at the rest of the kitchens occupants, receiving nods of agreement from Sam, Tucker, and even Ember. The King Phantom turned to his sister with a grin. "Well it looks like I'm outnumbered. Welcome to the Phantom Family, Jazz."

XXX

"Miss Ember?"

Ember glanced up from the drawing she was working on to see Danielle fidgeting with her crayon, a clear sign the little halfa was thinking hard about something. "What's up, kiddo? Something buggin' you?"

Danielle kept her gaze on the crayon as she rolled it between her little fingers. "Miss Ember, do you...has daddy ever told you if he knows who my mommy is?"

Ember's core clenched at the sad, hopeful expression on the little girl's face. "I'm sorry, Dani. He hasn't."

"Oh." Danielle's eyes started to shine with tears, though they had yet to spill over. The little halfa lifted her watery gaze to Ember and spoke with a quaver in her voice. "Do-do you think my mommy didn't want anything to do with me?"

As if on instinct, Ember scooped Danielle up in her arms and began rubbing soothing circles on the little halfa's back. "Of course not, sweetheart. Remember that bad man your daddy told you about?"

"Plasmoos?"

Ember couldn't help but snort at the ridiculous name. The Rockstar ran her fingers through Danielle's black tresses. "That's right. Well, the bad man took a tiny piece of your daddy and a tiny piece of your mommy, and he mixed them together to make you. Your mommy didn't abandon you, baby girl. She just doesn't know where you are."

Danielle sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Ember. "Really?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I'm sure your mommy, wherever she is, will love you very much." Ember tweaked Danielle's little button nose and grinned. "With a face as cute as that, how could she not?" The little halfa giggled and gave the Rockstar a watery smile.

"Thank you, miss Ember."

"For what?"

"For making me feel better." Danielle wrapped her arms around Ember's neck in a hug and whispered in the Rockstar's ear. "And for making my daddy really happy."

Ember smiled and returned the hug. "You're welcome, babydip."

"I love you, miss Ember."

The Rockstar froze at Danielle's words. Again, this was something Ember had never received before. In all the years she had inhabited her own little piece of the Ghost Zone no one had shown her even a modicum of affection. Sure, Danny treated her like a Queen and showered her with affection, but this was different. This was a little girl, with no mother, honorary aunts and uncles filling the gaps in her broken family. This little girl had admitted she loved the fiery, once cold-hearted, Rockstar- and Ember had a feeling Danielle saw her in a more 'maternal' light.

Ember squeezed the little halfa closer, cursing the tears stinging her eyes. "I love you too, kiddo. I love you too.

XXX

 **A little shorter than I'm used to, but there it is. I know the two sections seem unrelated, but I felt that, since Ember is now closer to most of the team, that Danielle might be seeing Ember in a different light and lean towards her as a maternal figure. So yeah, some fluffy stuff for ya since it's been a while since I've done some fluff.**

 **Next chapter may be a little slow in the making as I have no idea as of right now what I'm going to do for the next chapter. If anything, you all could throw suggestions at me and if I like one I'll write it.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoyed and are happy with Jazz's reaction to previous events. Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	21. Ch 21: Mortuus Regem

**Review Response:**

 **Rebelliousshays: Jazz won't be returning to the human plane to finish college, but will gain an education of sorts from many ghosts in the GZ. I'd say more but don't wish to spoil anything.**

 **In Regards to Danielle's Mother: I'm sorry to say to those of you who were rooting for it, but Ember will not be Danielle's mother. I thought about it for 21 chapters now and I've seen the Ember/Dani, Mother/Daughter thing before and I want to have my own spin. Ember will be more of an adoptive mother if that pleases you.**

 **The mother will most likely not play a part in the story. It would be a minor detail and distract from the plot. I'm sorry!**

 **Anyway, Enjoy!**

 **XXX**

"Alright, guys. This is where everything takes a hard right turn. This is where our plans begin taking shape. This is where the Phantom Family begins building their kingdom." Danny fixed each person present with a serious look. The team - Sam, Tucker, Ember, Jazz and Danielle - all sat around a large, circular table in what Tucker called the 'war room' - a room large enough to hold council and plan for future events accordingly, set off from the 'throne room' on the newly added third floor. Danny stood before them at the head of the table, his hands flat on the wooden surface, and a determined gleam in his icy-blue eyes.

Tucker and Sam shared a grin, though for their own reasons. The Tech-Wizard was excited that he would be assisting his girlfriend in designing Danny's new kingdom, and ecstatic he would be able to utilize his talent for technological engineering to make his mark on the GZ. His recent success with the proximity shielding by integrating ghost technology into his designs had opened the door to a plethora opportunities in that field.

Sam on the other hand had a particular knack for politics and organization. If ever the opinions of citizens - and yes, Sam saw the ghosts of the GZ as more than just sentient blobs of ectoplasm with corporeal forms - of the Ghost Zone ever turned against Danny, it would be Sam's job to change that opinion. Combine that with her previously unknown appreciation for architecture, adding the fact she would be working alongside her boyfriend in designing the kingdom, she couldn't be happier with her position.

Danny and Jazz's job would be to begin forming alliances with many of the heavy-hitters in the Ghost Zone, offering treaties and support in any way. With the supportive backing of the tribes of the Far Frozen and Princess Dora's small kingdom of Brann, Danny already had a lot of political pull in his new position. Ensuring mutual alliances with these heavy-hitters would dissuade any possibility of rebellious uprisings amongst his people.

Jazz was obviously over the moon that she would get to work alongside her little brother. A year ago, her brother had been a deceptively scrawny dork with little to no confidence to speak of. Now, he was a father and a king, and his new positions helped him build an aura of confidence and determination she hadn't seen before in anyone. Danny was shaping up to be an amazing leader, and she couldn't be prouder.

Ember gazed at the man before her in adoration. Danny was everything she could have ever wanted in a person; kind, strong, fiercely loyal, with a determination that so few possessed. Though neither had said the words yet, the Rockstar had no doubt in her mind that she had fallen in love with the handsome halfa. Ember adjusted her gaze to observe the little halfa currently reclined in her lap. Now, the Rockstar never considered herself to be particularly good with kids, but Danielle had laid that doubt to rest. The little five-year-old was the epitome of cuteness with her father's quick wit, and an innate ability to charm anyone who met her. Even someone who used to be cold hearted like Ember.

Jazz's voice brought Ember's attention back to the meeting. "I hope you realize, Danny, these plans are going to take time. A lot of time. By my estimation, constructing the kingdom alone will take months, possibly a year, even with the assistance of these 'Masters'."

Danny waved his hand dismissively. "I'm aware of the time frame. You and I only have one focus, Sam and Tucker have the construction side covered, we only have to worry about finding Ghosts that will support us. In turn, the more support we gain, the more help we'll have in building the new capital. Technus has been more neutral lately, which is how Tucker has been able to develop the defenses we have on the island. With some prodding, we'll have his support. The overgrown toaster is just one piece of proof that our enemies may not be so malevolent any more."

Sam turned to the redhead. "Jazz, don't try to over analyze everything. The labor has been divided up, so the only thing you need to worry about is helping Danny. Tucker and I have our side covered."

"Alright, alright." Jazz acquiesced, holding her hands up in surrender. "What will you have Ember do then?"

The team turned their attention to the Rockstar. Ember quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "Miss Ember is going to keep an eye on the little munchkin here while the big kids go make friends with the baddies." The Rockstar wrapped Danielle in a hug and shrugged. "Also, I've still got contacts around. I'm sure I can swing Kitty our way, Johnny too. After that, let the dominoes fall and one by one I'll have a bunch of old friends joining up with us. If you and the princess can play 'Ambassador', then so can I."

Danny smiled at the grin on his daughter's face when she heard she would get to spend _even more_ time with Ember. The older halfa directed his smile at the Rockstar. "Thanks, Angel."

Ember winked and blew him a kiss, prompting Danielle to gag dramatically. Sam cleared her throat, breaking the ghostly couple's loving gaze. "Anyway...I think we got everything. When do you want to start?"

Danny rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "I think," he started slowly. "We'll start next week. That'll give us time to coronate Jazz, and for Jazz and I to stock up on supplies before we head out on our mission. Everyone in agreement?" Everyone nodded in response and Danny turned to his male best friend. "Tucker, how goes the R&D on those construction bots you told me about?"

"Coming along nicely. Technus has been popping by and lending me a hand. Let me just say again, I'm so glad he's on our side now. The bots should be up and running by next week. All we need is the blueprints and the materials and we can start building."

"Nice work, Tuck. Next time you see Technus, let him know I'd like to offer him a position in the Phantom Court." At Tucker's nod, Danny turned to Sam. "What about the blueprints?"

"The designs so far include a public forum, a general outline for the capital itself; including different sections which I've laid out in a grid formation, similar to traditional Roman cities*. Each section represents a district, one for housing, another for entertainment and so on." Sam paused to make sure everyone was following her so far before continuing. "I figured, since the mansion is like a beacon for the GZ citizens, that Phantom Mansion would sit at the center of the capital."

Danny's brow had slowly climbed to his hairline as Sam described her rough design, clearly impressed with everything she had said so far. "Well done, Sam. Everything sounds pretty good so far. Let's make sure we focus on housing first, then the market district. Once the people have shelter and food we can worry about entertainment. Also, good idea about having the mansion in the center of the capital. Sound idea, strategically speaking." Sam grinned and nodded her thanks. Danny then turned to Jazz. "I know you'll be helping me with the alliances, but have you given any thought to an educational institution?"

Jazz smiled and pulled some notes from a satchel that sat at her feet. "Actually, I have. I understand most ghosts have a specialty or a specific talent once they arrive in the GZ, I'd like to offer those who have a particular talent or power, to have the chance to learn how to control it and utilize it in a way that could benefit the capital in some way. I've spoken with Clockwork and Grim recently, and they've offered to lend a hand in terms of educating ghosts. Seeing as these 'Masters' have been around for millenia, they have hundreds of lifetime's worth of knowledge."

Danny couldn't help but grin at his sister's enthusiasm. Jazz loved to learn, and having the chance to teach others just made her even more enthusiastic. "Sounds like you've got it covered, Jazz. What kind of institutions are you thinking of including?"

"Most likely a university, seeing as there aren't a lot of younger ghosts. Though, if what you told me about 'Box Lunch' is true, then that may change and we can include an elementary school or some form of education center for the younger ghosts."

"Understandable, there _are_ a lot of older ghosts who have yet to control their powers. Not to mention _a lot_ to learn about today's era." Danny nodded in approval. "Of course, I want anyone who wants to, to have an opportunity at a well rounded education. Including all core subjects and any electives that may be relevant."

Jazz nodded, and pulled out a pen to make additions to her notes. Ember had tuned out most of the conversation, but from what she had heard and understood, she thought everything sounded amazing. The Ghost Zone was about to enter a new age, and Danny would drag it into this age kicking and screaming if he had to. Ember glanced down at the little halfa, who had curled up in her arms, and noted her drooping eyelids and stifled yawns. The Rockstar stood slowly with Danielle's head resting against her shoulder and looked at Danny. "The munchkin's getting sleepy, I'm gonna put her to bed."

Danny smiled and walked up to his girls. The halfa bent and kissed his daughters forehead before kissing Ember's cheek. "I'll be down in a little bit. Goodnight, baby girl."

"Goodnight Daddy." Danielle mumbled drowsily, a faint smile on her adorable face.

"You'd better hurry up, babypop. I can't warm that big bed of yours by myself." Ember winked with a sultry smile, making Danny blush, and left the room with Danielle.

Tucker watched the ghostly couples exchange with some amusement, only making a remark once Ember had left the room. "I know you guys have been together for like, a month and half now, but it's still weird to see it. Especially...whatever the hell _that_ was."

"Shut up, Tuck." Danny groaned while Tucker laughed, before plopping down into a chair. The halfa sighed and glanced around at his friends and sister. "Anything else we need to discuss?"

Tucker raised his hand. "Yeah. I know you've been wanting me to put work into defensive tech, and I think it's a great idea. The proximity tech I developed is just the tip of the iceberg. But…"

Danny cocked an eyebrow. "But?"

"But...shouldn't we put some focus into weaponry? I mean, those old Fenton blasters only go so far, and with the abundance of ectoplasm here the opportunities are endless."

Danny sighed, but slowly nodded. "I'd rather not build this kingdom with weapons...but there _is_ always the possibility that things could go pear-shaped at some point." The halfa was quiet for a moment, his eyes unfocused and deep in thought. "Alright. Dedicate a small part of R&D to small weaponry for practical defense. Remember, we're not trying to build an army, and we have plenty of firepower between me, Ember, and the other tribes and nations supporting us."

Tucker nodded in agreement. "Got it, dude. I'll sketch out some mock ups and run 'em by you in a few days."

"Sounds good. Anything else?" Danny glanced between each of them, receiving shakes of their heads. "Alright then, meeting adjourned. Goodnight, guys. Thank you all."

XXX

Later that night, Danny and Ember lay snuggled up in his four poster bed, the Rockstar had her head on his chest, her finger drawing lazy shapes on his skin. Danny was silent as he lay with his arm wrapped around his girlfriend, his mind racing.

Ember nudged her boyfriend's side, breaking him from his thoughts. "You alright? You've been pretty quiet since the meeting."

Danny kissed the top of her head and squeezed her gently. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just...I can't believe how much my life has changed this year. For four years I was either one of two people; the scrawny nerd that got picked on all through high school, and the vilified menace 'Inviso-Bill'. Now? Now I'm supposed to be this new King, and I'm about to bring a new era to the Ghost Zone." Danny grew quiet again, but Ember knew he wasn't finished. "What if I fail?"

Ember sat up and shot Danny a look of confusion mixed with incredulity. "Fail? How the hell could you fail? You're _Danny Phantom_! You faced down Undergrowth when he took over Amity, and _won_. You kicked Nocturn's ass when he trapped everyone in their dreams. For Masters sake, you _entombed_ the 'Mad King' _Pariah Dark._ Danny, you're not going to fail."]

"I got lucky." Danny said quietly.

"Bullshit."

Ember was getting angry, if the growing flames of her hair was any indication. But she wasn't angry at Danny, she was angry at how little Danny thought of himself. For years this amazing father and boyfriend was bullied and belittled, even when he became a hero and saved the town time and time again, the people of Amity continued to vilify him. Most of all, she was angry at Jack and Maddie Fenton. Those so called 'ghost hunters' were the reason Danny had always been so afraid of being Phantom. The constant threat of new ghost hunting tech that could turn you to goo, or fry you in a green mist had to have been a nightmare for the halfa.

Ember cupped Danny's chin and turned his head so their eyes met. The Rockstar started in a firm but gentle tone. "No matter what you think, no matter what you had to go through since you became Phantom, you. Are not. A failure. Look at what you've done so far. Not just defeating the most powerful ghosts in the GZ, but raising an adorable five-year-old, starting a family of your own. And just tonight, you were up there in that meeting room, looking and acting every bit the King and leader you were meant to be. That's not luck, Danny. That's a strong will and a determination to live the life you want to live and do right by the people you love and care about."

Danny's eyes had grown wide at Ember's speech, and he found himself struggling for words at the amount of passion and fire his girlfriend had put into her reprimand. Danny swallowed hard to clear the lump in his throat and he reached up to capture Ember's face in his hands, leaning up and placing a fiery kiss on her pale blue lips. Ember's hair flared for a moment at the intense passion in their kiss. When the two broke away for air, Danny stared into her eyes and neither said a word, pouring every ounce of affection into their gaze. Finally, Danny said the words that would have stopped the Rockstar's heart and brought joyful tears to her eyes. "I love you."

Eye's shining and hair burning bright, Ember fought through the lump in her throat and could only whisper as she gazed into Danny's bright, baby-blue orbs. "I love you too." The pair met in another passion filled kiss before the Rockstar broke away one more time, her eyes piercing and stern and filled with fire. "But don't you ever dare think so little of yourself ever again, Daniel Phantom. You may be King of the GZ now, but don't think I wont kick your ass."

Danny burst out laughing and hugged the love of his life closer, their bodies fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. "I promise, my Angel."

"Good." Ember burrowed into Danny's side, sighing contentedly and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, babypop."

Danny smiled as he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the fiery-haired woman. With a quick kiss on her head, and a whispered 'goodnight, hothead', the two settled down and drifted off into a deep, comfortable sleep.

XXX

 _White. Why does everything have to be white?_ The man grumbled internally. He continued the long trek down the sterile white hallway, passing several shining steel doors, each embossed with a white plate and displaying a black letter. The man winced at the faint sounds of screams that penetrated the supposedly soundproof doors. Before long, he came upon the final door in the hall and knocked.

"Come in."

The man opened the door to another white room. Polished, stainless steel file cabinets lined the back wall with matching bookcases, cluttered with miscellaneous objects and weapons, set against the adjacent walls. The only piece of furniture that seemed out of place was the large, dark-stained oak desk that dominated the center of the room. Behind it sat a fierce looking man, he was tall and stocky and obviously well built underneath his immaculate white suite. His head and face were clean shaven and a deep, puckered scar ran over his left eye and down past his mouth to his chin.

"Agent J." The scarred man greeted in a deep baritone, traces of a Slavic accent lacing his words.

"Colonel Z." Agent J entered the room and closed the door before taking a seat in a chair in front of the desk. "I am here to give my report on the situation in Amity, sir."

"Very well, Agent." Colonel Z confirmed, taking the file folder Agent J had brought with him. "Current status?"

"Everything has been...quiet...as of late. Ghost sightings seem to have decreased in recent months. We used to receive reports of activity two to three times a week...now it's two to three a month."

The Colonel's brow furrowed as he read that particular section of the report. "It is saying most activity lately has been from little ghosts. Level twos at most."

"Yes, sir. The ones we have encountered have been mainly zoomorphic in nature."

"I see." The room grew silent as the Colonel reviewed more of the Agent's report. Several moments later he set the papers on the desk and fixed the Agent with an unreadable expression. Agent J fought the urge to squirm under his superiors gaze. "I would like your account of the situation. Reports are bland and cold. I prefer information on a situation personally."

Agent J nodded, adjusting his position in the chair before he began to speak. "A month ago I was tasked with reviewing the accounts in Amity Park. As I said before, reports of paranormal activity used to flow in weekly, sometimes daily. So, when I discovered activity had decreased so dramatically, I decided to investigate for myself. I rendezvoused with a set of Agents I had placed in Amity, as is procedure when dealing with a location like Amity. They reported to me of the zoomorphic ecto-entities, and claimed their scanner had not picked up anything stronger than a level two entity in months.

"After performing atmospheric scans of the area, I confirmed their claim, as the level of ectoplasm in the atmosphere had lessened considerably since the scan was last performed. The only anomaly which confuses me was the Fenton's Ghost Portal."

The Colonel cocked a scarred eyebrow. "Yes, Agent?"

"It's still active."

"Could it be that the Fentons have merely closed the portal doors, while keeping the bridge open?"

"No offense, Colonel, but in the past, regardless of whether the doors had been open or closed, the influx of ecto-entities remained the same. Something is...different this time." Agent J refuted, his brow furrowed in annoyance at being in the dark on the matter.

The Colonel leaned back in his chair, his hands folded in front of him. "I see. I will have you send a team to further investigate the situation. I want reports weekly." Agent J nodded his agreement before his superior continued. "Anything else to report?"

Agent J hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly. "Just one more thing, Colonel. Approximately three months ago, sightings of a particular entity had dropped off altogether; Public Enemy No. 1, codename 'Phantom'."

"That is...troubling." The Colonel stared off into space for a moment, deep in thought, before he refocused his gaze on the Agent. "If I understand correctly, the decrease of paranormal activity and Phantom's disappearance seem to...coincide."

"I had come to the same conclusion as well, sir."

Colonel Z rubbed his chin thoughtfully before he spoke again. "As I said, send a team to investigate this decrease in activity. I want them to also monitor for any mentions of Phantom. I do not like how these two events coincide."

Agent J nodded and stood. "Very well, sir. Anything else?"

The Colonel waved a hand towards the door. "No, Agent. You are dismissed." With a nod and a quick salute, the Agent left the room. Colonel Z sighed heavily, unlocking a large drawer in his desking and pulling out a bottle of Scotch. Z filled a glass tumbler halfway and took a long, slow sip of the thirty-year-old whiskey. Amity, the most haunted city in America. A hub for the paranormal. The fact that ecto-entity activity had decreased so dramatically bothered the old Colonel.

For twenty years, Colonel A. Zauer had been hunting and eliminating ghosts. His record for most entities destroyed or captured remained unchallenged, and for good reason. Though the Colonel had taken a desk job at their main HQ, he still remained a dangerous and resourceful man. The fact that Phantom, a level nine ecto-entity, had escaped their radars for so long was disconcerting. The fact the fiend had disappeared completely was completely disarming.

"I _will_ find you, Phantom." The Colonel rumbled quietly into his tumbler. Zauer took another long sip, finishing the drink, before pouring another. He raised the glass to his lips. "No one can run from the GIW."

XXX

 **Muahahahaha! Cliff-hangers! I know, you probably hate...especially because this will be the final chapter of Half Dead Rule. This whole chapter came to me in a stroke of genius and I believe I am most pleased with it.**

 **As of finishing this chapter, HDR is up to:**

 **253 Followers**

 **172 Favorites**

 **And over 30,000 views!**

 **I know it's not the most read story on fanfic, and I can only hope that one day I reach more than 1,000 favorites, but I am happy with the results nonetheless. It has been an absolute pleasure writing this fic and I hope you all have enjoyed reading it as I have writing it. Thank you all for your kind, and constructive reviews and showing your support for my SECOND fanfic.**

 **Fret not, my beautiful readers. While this chapter in Danny's life has ended, a new chapter will begin. I may update this story every once in a while, but only minor changes in earlier chapters.**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers! For everything!**

 **Roman Cities*: Traditionally, cities of Ancient Rome were build in a grid pattern, with streets running at right angles, and side streets running parallel to main roads. While I am unclear as to how they divided up the city, my story will have the city divided up into districts. I will elaborate more in the sequel.**


	22. Sequel!

**New story is up! First chapter has been posted!**


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